Organisational Meeting for GECAFS Vulnerability of Food Systems Research Network
Oxford, UK
17-18th May 2006
Acknowledgements
The meeting organisers gratefully acknowledge financial assistance from NERC, IHDP and WCRP.
Click here to download the list of participants.
Programme
Wednesday 17th May 2006
What are the central features of the GECAFS conceptual framework for conducting research on the vulnerability of food systems to global environmental change (VFS GEC)? What are some examples of cutting-edge research on VFS GEC?
Session one: Introduction
Chair: Barbara Huddleston (GECAFS SAC Focal point for VFSRN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Italy
Presenter: Peter Gregory (Outgoing GECAFS Executive Chair), Scottish Crop Research Institute
Presenter: Polly Ericksen (GECAFS Science Officer, Vulnerability of Food Systems)
Session Two: Vulnerability and Resilience in Food Systems
Chair: Tony Nyong (GECAFS SAC member) University of Jos, Nigeria
Presenter: Kathleen Galvin, Department of Anthropology and Natural Resources Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University
Presenter: Evan Fraser, Leeds University, UK
Click here to link to corresponding paper: Fraser. E.D.G. (Under review). Antique Lands: using past famines to develop a framework to assess vulnerability to climate change. Climatic Change. Submitted June 2005.
Session Three: Cross-Scale Analyses of Vulnerability
Chair: Hallie Eakin (VFSRN Committee), University of California at Santa Barbara
Presenter: Marrit van den Berg, Wageningen University, Netherlands
(Click here to download corresponding paper.)
Presenter: Delali Dovie, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Session Four: Institutional Analyses for Food System Management
Chair: Saleemul Huq, International Institute for Environment and Development, UK
Presenter: Jesse Manuta, School of Arts and Sciences, Ateneo de Davao University, Philippines
Presenter: Gunter Hemrich, ESA, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome Italy
Session Five: Day 1 Wrap up Session
Chair: Mike Brklacich (Outgoing GECAFS Vice-Chair) Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
What have we learned from the presentations today?
Have we identified some critical gaps in the research agenda?
This discussion will be continued on day two as we discuss the focus of the research network.
Thursday 18th May 2006
Session One: Breakout Groups on Intellectual Challenges for the VFSRN
What are the critical areas in which more research is needed to advance the network focus?
Introductory Remarks and Charge to the Breakout groups
Presenter: Polly Ericksen
Session Two: Break-Out Group Reports and Open Discussion
Chair: Stan Wood (VFSRN Committee), International Food Policy Research Institute, USA
Session Three: Objectives of the Network and Network Membership
How can this network contribute to addressing the research challenges raised?
What are the key issues to be addressed regarding the strengthening of capacity for young scientists and others who are new to this research?
How can we disseminate research results in ways that will contribute constructively to the policy-science dialogue?
Statement of Network Objectives - Presenter: John Ingram, GECAFS Executive Officer
Group Discussion on Network Membership
Chair: Barbara Huddleston, GECAFS SAC and VFSRN Committee chair
Session Four: Methods of Work
Chair: Adrian Trotman (VFSRN Committee), Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology
Session Five: Closing of the Workshop
Chair: Diana Liverman (Incoming GECAFS Executive Chair), Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford
Results: These discussions were intensive and fruitful, and the outcomes are being considered by the GECAFS Executive Committee.