Dr. John Kennelly describes the success of agriculture in feeding a world population that has quadrupled in the last 80 years. Canada's agricultural land base, though small, is significant in that success story because much of Canada's primary food production (grain, oilseeds and meat) is exported. But can Canada's agriculture continue to be a major player in feeding 9 billion people? Dr. Kennelly makes the case that we are making decisions about what kind of future we want for our children. Self sufficiency in food production is essential for developing countries but so is the capacity of a small number of countries to export food, the safety buffer when food production risks increase with climate change.
Canada's problem: we are reducing investment in food production research and development. He discusses Canada's social licence in food production and our record around food safety, environmental sustainability, and cattle-grassland production systems. He makes the case that we need to talk about nutritional security and food for health in Canada. He concludes by describing where Canada's agricultural faculties sit in the state of the world's food research and education. And he makes the case for his faculty's impact in research, education and product development.
Dr. John Kennelly is Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta. His keynote presentation was part of the Alberta Institute of Agrologists' Banff Conference, March 26-28, 2013.
