Leveraging Agriculture for Improving Nutrition and Health

International Conference | 10-12 February 2011 | New Delhi, India

International symposium to focus on zinc for better crop production and human health

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Micronutrient deficiencies were very much in the spotlight at IFPRI’s 2020 conference, which focused on how agriculture can improve human nutrition and health.

This October, experts will gather at The 3rd International Zinc Symposium to discuss the global importance of zinc deficiency, a serious threat to both crop production and human populations. The symposium will provide the latest information on zinc deficiency in soils, address crop nutrition and human populations, review the best agricultural practices in addressing zinc deficiency, and discuss impact of zinc deficiency on global crop production and human health.

The symposium will be held in Hyderabad, India from 10 to 14 October 2011. Scientists wishing to make oral or poster presentations at the Zinc Symposium are invited to submit an abstract. The deadline for submission is April 30. Detailed information on the symposium, including registration, is available on the regularly updated symposium website.

The event is sponsored by the International Zinc Association and International Fertilizer Industry Association in cooperation with Fertilizer Association of India and HarvestPlus.

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A wealth of resources -Speaker videos, bios & notes- available on the website!

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Want to (re)listen to a provocative idea made by a speaker? Missed the conference, but would like to learn more about key topics?

Video footage of the conference gives you a close look at all the event proceedings, including the inaugural program, the Indian Prime Minister's opening address, plenary and panel sessions, side events, and "Rapid Fire" presentations.

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Three winners from around the globe selected for writing contest!

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Photo of Anjeline Angeles

Writing contest winner Anjeline Angeles

Anjeline Angeles, a 17-year-old from Antipolo City, Philippines is the author of an insightful essay that was chosen as the first place winner of IFPRI’s Youth Writing Contest. In her essay, Anjeline describes a powerful field trip to a farm that shaped her understanding of the struggles many impoverished farmers face and her dream of using agriculture and nutrition to overcome these struggles.

Runner up Nyasha Michel who was born in Zambia and lives in South Africa wrote a short story about a young girl interested in improving health through agriculture and better food. Hailing from Australia, the contest’s other runner-up Emily Harkness also used short story form to share her concerns about water as a diminishing resource.

IFPRI’s Youth Writing contest was held in preparation for the 2020 conference. Youth ages 14-18 were asked to submit a creative writing piece that answered the question “How can we use agriculture to produce more food, generate food of better quality, and improve people’s nutrition and health?” These essays were chosen out of entries received from over 20 countries around the globe.

To learn more about the winners and to read their winning essays, visit: https://2020conference.ifpri.info/youth-writing-contest/.

IFPRI 2020 Conference: The Way Forward, Briefs, and Papers

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Get a sneak peak at the draft of the IFPRI 2020 Conference Way Forward Statement! This document points the way to some of the potential first steps in maximizing synergies between the three sectors to promote adequate food, good nutrition, good health, and sustainable agricultural growth. This is a living document, and we welcome your feedback before, during, and after the conference. Visit the conference website to leave your comments and respond to others’ comments , thus shaping the next version that will be released following the event.

Over 20 briefs and 8 papers have also been prepared to provide background material on some of the key issues that will be addressed during the conference. We hope that you enjoy them. These publications can be downloaded by selecting the publications tab on our conference website.

Conference Issue Brochure is Now Available

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"Most people would say that agriculture is for growing food, and on one level, they are right. The point of agriculture doesn’t stop there, however. At a deeper level, the purpose of agriculture is not just to grow crops and livestock, but to grow healthy, well-nourished people."

To read the entire 2020 Conference Issue Brochure, visit: http://www.ifpri.org/publication/agriculture-nutrition-health.

Underwood highlights the role of women in agriculture

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“Women are a major part of the agricultural system in so many countries,” said Barbara Underwood, retired adjunct professor of Nutrition at Columbia University and 2020 Conference Advisory Committee member, during a conversation with the 2020 team. Improving women’s nutritional and health status strongly influences the well-being of families, and moreover, of future generations.

New Wikipedia Entry on Conference Themes

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A new Wikipedia entry on "Leveraging Agriculture for Improving Nutrition and Health" has been published, detailing the themes of the conference and acting as a portal for discussions on the linkages between the sectors. Prior to this entry, there were few resources for people researching the linkages between agriculture, nutrition, and health. The entry provides resources on agriculture, nutrition, and health, pointing readers to the conference website and other websites and literature discussing these connections. Wikipedia is an online, user-generated encyclopedia, where any internet user can create a topic and others users debate and discuss it, creating a consensus-generated body of information.

EMBRAPA’s Beatriz da Silveira Pinheiro talks about impact

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“The [2020] conference is one of the first opportunities to bring people together…to build up connections, and especially, integration [between sectors],” pointed out da Silveira Pinheiro, Director General of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA)’s Strategic Studies and Capacity Strengthening division, and Advisory Committee member, during an interview with the 2020 conference team.

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International Food Policy Research Institute
e-mail: IFPRI-2020Conference@cgiar.org