PWIAS International Roundtable on Citizen Science and Agrobiodiversity

PWIAS International Roundtable on Citizen Science and Agrobiodiversity in 2019

Peter Wall Institute

Cluster members Dr. Hannah Wittman, Dr. Navin Ramankutty, Dr. Loren Rieseberg, Dr. Matt Mitchell, Dr. Zia Mehrabi, and Dr. Claire Kremen have received funding for and planned an international roundtable on citizen science and agrobiodiversity at the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies in May 2019.

As Agroecology – in its multiple dimensions – has received considerable attention in the last five years on global and regional levels, multiple requests have been made on the part of governments for a better evidence base on the performance of Agroecology vis a vis other “sustainable agriculture” systems. There is an increasing recognition that we leave off a vast scope of knowledge by ignoring or not validating diverse sources of information: the knowledge and experience of farmers, local communities, and many community-level initiatives with a depth of knowledge far beyond the bounds of experimental stations and controlled environments.

In the context of providing a rapid review of such realms of knowledge to support the ongoing Committee on World Food Security High Level Panel of Experts project report on Agroecology, we explored methods to facilitate better capturing of local experiences and impacts that ultimately reflect larger patterns, seeking to expand observations and inferences from individual case studies beyond their spatial and temporal boundaries.

A photo exhibit on agrobiodiversity and food security called “Nature and Nourishment: The Agrobiodiversity and Food Security Nexus” will also be on display.

When, Where, and How Much?

  • May 30 2019 from 4 pm until 6 pm
  • Liu Institute, xʷθəθiqətəm (Place of many trees), formerly the Multipurpose Room, UBC
  • A reception with light refreshments will be held from 5 p.m. until 6 p.m.
  • Free entry, no registration required.

About the Presenter

Dr. Barbara Gemmill-Herren

Dr. Barbara Gemmill-Herren served as Delivery Manager for the Major Area of Work on Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Within the FAO, she coordinated the International Pollinator Initiative, building a global project on Pollination Services that was implemented in Brazil, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, India, Pakistan, and Nepal. She was also responsible for FAO’s work on Ecosystem Services in Agricultural Production and was engaged in FAO’s new focus on Agroecology. She presently works as a senior associate to the World Agroforestry Centre, supporting the United Nations’ work on agroecology and true-cost accounting in agriculture. In April 2018 she was appointed to the UN Committee on Food Security’s High Level Panel of Experts project team on ‘Agroecological approaches and other innovations for sustainable agrifood systems that enhance food security and nutrition.’

This event is an International Research Roundtable presented by CSFS Diversified Agroecosystem Research Cluster and hosted by the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies.