Production and Sustainability

The Institute on Science for Global Policy (ISGP), in partnership with Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society and Eckerd College, convened a conference on food production and sustainability focused on linking scientifically credible information to the formulation and implementation of sound, effective domestic and international policies.

The critical debates and caucuses at the ISGP/Sigma Xi Eckerd Conference were open to the public and press and  organized in conjunction with Eckerd students and faculty. This conference was designed to provide a forum in which the scientific and technological issues facing societies worldwide can be view through the personal life choices and communitywide decisions facing the St. Petersburg area.

The ISGP-Eckerd partnership made it feasible for Eckerd students to organize and convene ISGP-styled conferences for their institution and members of the local community without the restriction of the Chatham House Rule (not for attribution). Under the control of Eckerd students, this ISGP-styled conference addressed some of the most important scientific and technological issues facing societies worldwide, and emphasized the importance of clear communication among the scientific community, policy makers, and the public.

Presenters and Topics:

Lee R. DeHaan, Ph.D.
Plant Geneticist, The Land Institute, Salina, Kansas, U.S.
“Perennial Crops Are a Key to Sustainably Productive Agriculture”

Rachel Goldstein, M.B.A.
Global Sustainability Manager, Scientific and Regulatory Affairs, Mars, Inc. McLean, Virginia, U.S. “Value Chain Efficiency and Sustainable Production: The Role of Uncommon Collaboration”

Alison Van Eenennaam, Ph.D.
Biotechnology Specialist, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, U.S. “Regulatory Oversight of New Plants and Animals Varieties in the United States”

A publication summarizing the debates of these three papers, and the areas of consensus reached by conference participants, will be available online and in print in summer 2015.

Register here

Policy Position papers