A two-day online conference starting Wednesday 16 March will examine topics including how the Russian invasion of Ukraine is hitting supplies of wheat and other commodities, and what these shocks mean for food supplies and public health at the local and global levels.
The Food Futures Conference 2022, convened annually by the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA), will also cover food shortages experienced across Australia during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, food sovereignty involving Indigenous communities in Australia and Canada, nutrition and sustainability, and food banks.
“Our conference was already exploring food insecurities at the local and global level which the pandemic has exposed – such as shortages in our supermarkets – but the war in Ukraine has added to the level of complexity affecting food and its various implications for health,” says conference Chair, Christina Pollard.
“These complexities include not only our abilities to grow and distribute food, they’re also compounded by the growing role of powerful commercial interests, and the difficulties faced by small scale farmers and others who want to grow food locally,” Pollard, Associate Professor Public Health Priorities at Curtin University and PHAA Vice President (Development), added.
“Our conference focusses on food systems, nutrition science, practical solutions and advocacy, all in the service of how these various factors influence public health.
“Public health requires a food system that protects the environment and promotes safe, nutritious, affordable food for all.”
This conference features speakers from across Australia and around the world, including expert advisers at the global level including the World Health Organization and UN Committee on World Food Security, through to all three levels of government in Australia, and local communities.
Note to journalists: media passes for the online conference are available, but can only be used on a desktop/laptop. The program and abstracts are available here.
Associate Professor Pollard and other speakers are
