Food is Fundamental

The Student Environment Centre (SEC) and Friends of the UBC Farm (FotF) are thrilled to be hosting a conference from September 23^rd to 27^th entitled “Food is Fundamental“. The conference is being held to educate, discuss and take action on pressing food issues that concern people, the environment, and the economy both locally and globally. We also aim to bring attention to the development plans at the UBC Farm: what are we gaining and what are we losing? What value does agriculture, both urban and conventional, provide? Development may be important to some, but food is crucial to all.

We will be addressing publicized and popular food topics as well as alternative agrarian values and perspectives. Our speakers will be presenting on topics such as First Nations and food sovereignty, dubious foods, the current global food crises, food security and social justice, the politics of genetic engineering, and many more areas of interest. But, we understand it is one thing to talk about ecological, social, and economic responsibility and consciousness; it is quite another to actually live it. This is exactly why the final and largest day of the conference, Saturday (September 27^th) will contain many workshops on subjects like: how to eat sustainably, reducing and using food waste, growing your own food, brewing your own beer, how to shop responsibly, and more.

In a nutshell, we will talk about FOOD! We want to create a dialogue that connects soil and land to our plates; we want to address the need to eat and live healthily and happily but with significantly less impact on the planet, people, and our companion species. We wish to raise awareness and answer questions such as why is the global food crisis happening? Why is our food system the way it is? What will happen if we continue on our trajectory? How do our choices for urban development affect food security? And of course, the most important question, what can, and should, we do?

This conference will be a week filled with interesting learning, engaging discussions, entertainment, eating and fun for everyone. Please, come join us at the conference because, indeed, “Food is Fundamental”!

Dates: September 23^rd-27^th, 2008

Location: SUB, UBC Farm, MacMillan and other buildings

For schedule details and registration: www.foodisfundamental.com

To volunteer during or before the conference email: enviro@ams.ubc.ca or come to our weekly meetings: Tuesdays @ 12:30pm, SUB 245