Event: The Price of Food: Hunger or Hope for Africa?

16 July, 2008 - 18.00 - Portcullis House, Westminster - London

Speakers
Dr Monty Jones
Executive Director, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa

Dr Camilla Toulmin
Director, International Institute for Environment and Development

Professor Lawrence Haddad
Director, Institute of Development Studies

Chair
Hugh Bayley MP
Chair, Africa All Party Parliamentary Group

This forthcoming Royal African Society event will address some really key and really topical issues and is very much in line with the themes I have been pursuing and writing about here at InformationOthewise. I encourage anyone interested to come along and anyone who is unable to attend but has questions they would like to put to the panel, to get in touch as FreeHouse representatives will be attending.

The world food crisis threatens to destroy years, if not decades, of economic progress, and may push millions back into abject poverty, stated Kofi Annan recently. But others see the crisis as an opportunity to reform global agriculture and increase longer-term productivity in Africa.

The discussion will look at the implications of the food crisis for Africa – both the opportunities and the threats – as well as possible interventions. It will discuss the possibility of a Green Revolution for Africa. It will also critically assess the role of bioenergy in the current crisis and in the future of sustainable agricultural production in Africa.

Space is limited. RSVP essential: ras_research@soas.ac.uk

Please arrive 15 minutes prior the meeting to clear security. http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/faxmap.pdf