[WEBINAR] Agroecology: Integrating Science, Practice and Social Justice

Food Secure Canada, in partnership with CFICE (Community First: Impacts of Community Engagement) launched a webinar series to share critical reflections and research about Canada’s food system:

Building the Food Movement: Cultivating Connections through Critical Conversations

Bringing together a mix of faculty, students and community-based researchers and practitioners, this webinar series will highlight diverse voices and perspectives that challenge and invite us to think differently about our food system and the paths towards justice and sustainability.

The first webinar, February 21st, 1-2pm EST, was on the theme of Agroecology.  While the term has become increasingly popular in discussions of food system sustainability, what does it actually mean, and how can we use agroecology principles and practices to transform our food system?

WEBINAR RECORDING:

Webinar Slides

Presenters:

	Marney Isaac is an Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Agroecosystems & Development in the Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences and the Centre for Critical Development Studies at the University of Toronto Scarborough, and the Department of Geography at the University of Toronto. Prof. Isaac currently leads the Integrative Agroecology Lab, conducting interdisciplinary research on plant strategies and the nutrient economy of agroecological systems while concurrently charting the human dimension of agroecosystem management. Her research provides insights into the ecological principles, nutrient cycles, and plant-soil interactions that govern the structure and function of agricultural landscapes, with particular attention to identifying strategies for ecosystem services and sustainable livelihoods. She also supervises an international research program investigating agrarian management networks, with an emphasis on understanding innovation in social-agroecological systems. She has published widely in environmental science, agronomic, ecology and multi-disciplinary journals including Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, Agronomy for Sustainable Development and Ecology and Society, with more than 40 peer-reviewed articles and an H-index of 18. Prof. Isaac serves as an associate editor for the Journal of Applied Ecology and a subject editor for the journal Biotropica.
	Faris Ahmed is Director, Policy & Campaigns at USC Canada. Faris joined USC Canada in 2005 and leads policy work in close collaboration with ecological agriculture, biodiversity and food sovereignty networks in the South and in Canada. He is an active member of the civil society networks of the Committee for World Food Security (CFS), the CBD Alliance and Food Secure Canada. Faris has worked at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Oxfam, South Asia Partnership, and as a photographer/writer covering environmental issues. He holds an MA in International Development Studies from the University of Toronto.
	Aabir Dey is the National Program Manager and Western Ontario Coordinator for The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security. Aabir developed his passion for seeds while he was at Everdale, and working on Seeds of Diversity's collection Canadian seed library. After completing a Master of Environmental Studies at York University, researching organic seed systems, Aabir joined The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security, first as a regional coordinator, and now as one of the program's two national managers. He loves working in the field with seed producers a all over Canada, and is honoured to work with such an innovative and generous group of farmers and colleagues.
	Michel Pimbert is the Director of the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience at Coventry University. An agricultural ecologist by training, he previously worked at the UK-based International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in India, the University François Rabelais de Tours in France, and the World Wide Fund for Nature in Switzerland. He has also done research for the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), The World Conservation Union (IUCN), and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). Professor Pimbert has been a Board member of several international organisations working on food sovereignty, sustainable agriculture, environment, and human rights. He is a member of the High Level Panel of Experts of the Committee on World Food Security of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). His research interests include: agroecology and food sovereignty, the political ecology of natural resource and biodiversity management, participatory action research, and deliberative democratic processes.

Facilitators:

• Amanda Wilson, Coordinator of Policy and Community Academic Collaboration - Food Secure Canada and PostDoctoral Fellow - Lakehead University.
• Charles Levkoe, Assistant Professor and Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Food Systems - Lakehead University.