The US National Council for Science and the Environment organized the 12th National Conference on Science, Policy and the Environment between January 12 and 18, 2012 in Washington, DC (USA).
Over 1,000 leaders and other stakeholders in science, government, conservation, business, and education attended this conference which focused on strategically-selected environment and security issues, the dynamic inter-relationship between these issues, common underlying scientific topics and regional case studies.
The conference was particularly relevant as the security of individuals, communities and nations is being profoundly affected by environmental change, including population movements, conflicts over water and other natural resources, political and economic instability caused by food and energy prices, and the sea level rising. In addition, the ways in which nations choose to pursue their security objectives – through military, diplomatic, and humanitarian means – have significant environmental consequences.
Accordingly, the conference program was centered around five key themes:
- Climate Disruption & Security;
- Food Security;
- Energy Security;
- Water Security; and
- Environment & Public Health Security.
“The combined achievement of more efficient and sustainable agricultural production patterns poses the challenge increasingly known as “sustainable intensification”’ stated the conference site highlighting the clear need for the Food Security theme.
The Consortium of International Agriculture Research Centers (CGIAR) was represented by Carl Hausman, vice-Chair of the CGIAR Consortium as well as Stanley Wood, Senior Research Fellow at International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) among the panelists in the Sustainable Intensification of Food Supplies session (presentation embedded above.)