World Youth Gather to Talk Food

Aug 19, 2013

World Youth Gather to Talk Food

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

Youth have been given an exciting yet daunting task; finding a solution to feed a growing world population. This week, 120 young people from around the globe will gather in Calgary to tackle just that.

The Youth Ag Summit, dubbed Feeding a Hungry Planet is one of 4-H Canada’s 100th Anniversary events. Youth aged 18 to 25 from about two dozen countries around the world will be represented. Delegates will discuss topics such as food waste, climate change, population growth, urbanization, government policies, and trade.

Delegates were selected based on essay and video submissions which addressed leading causes of food insecurity and discussed how agriculture could play a pivotal role in addressing food insecurity.

To follow the discussion follow - @YouthAgSummit on Twitter.

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.