Socioeconomic Contexts of Sustainable Agriculture

The Institute on Science for Global Policy (ISGP), in partnership with Western Connecticut State University, announces a new ISGP Academic Partnership conference focused on linking scientifically credible information to the formulation and implementation of effective policies governing sustainable agriculture.  

The critical debates and small-group caucuses at the conference are open to the public and press, and have been organized in conjunction with Western Connecticut students and faculty. Although the conference is free, participation is by invitation only and attendance is required on both days.

Socioeconomic Contexts of Sustainable Agriculture provides a forum in which the scientific and technological issues facing societies worldwide can be viewed through the personal life choices and community-wide decisions facing the Danbury area.  For more on the highly interactive debate-and-caucus format of the conference, see the conference announcement.   To register for the conference.

The three experts who will debate their policy position papers are:

Laura Lengnick, Ph.D., Owner and Lead Scientist, Cultivating Resilience, LLC. Lead author of USDA report, Climate Change and Agriculture in the United States (2012), contributor to the 3^rd National Climate Assessment, and advisor to the USDA Climate Science Learning Network, NC ADAPT, and the North American Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance and others.  Author of “Resilient Agriculture: Cultivating Food Systems for a Changing Climate” (New Society Publishers, 2015).

Henry Talmage,  Executive Director of Connecticut Farm Bureau Association, The Voice of Connecticut Agriculture, a 4,500-member organization dedicated to farming and the future of Connecticut agriculture. He serves as Vice Chairman of the Governor's Council for Agricultural Development and is on the Farmland Preservation Advisory Board, the Working Lands Alliance steering committee and numerous other agricultural boards, councils and committees.

Cristina Tirado-von der Pahlen, DMV, Ph.D., moderator of the UN Standing Committee of Nutrition Working Group on Climate Change and chair of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences Task Force for Climate and Nutrition.  She works with the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and other UN governments, NGOs and universities worldwide on issues of climate change, food, health, gender and sustainable development.

Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 14, and will adjourn at 4 p.m.    It should also be noted, there will be a fundraising dinner in support of the Jane Goodall Center Permaculture Garden from 5 – 7 p.m. in the Westside Student Center.  Click here for the Dinner in a Bite information.  Register here.

We will reconvene for caucus assignments at around 8 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15, and the plenary session will adjourn at around 5 p.m. 

Click here to register for Socioeconomic Contexts of Sustainable Agriculture.  If you have questions,  please contact dbaeza@scienceforglobalpolicy.org.

Policy Position papers