Registration for the First Global Conference on Biofortification is now open. Leading experts and commentators have confirmed they will take part, and more are added every day. Confirmed speakers include Pulitzer Prize-winning author and New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, Roger Thurow of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Lawrence Haddad, director of the Institute of Development Studies, Keith West of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and others.
“For the first time, people from research and implementing institutions and other influential actors will meet in one venue to discuss all facets of biofortification as a new tool to combat micronutrient malnutrition,” says Howarth Bouis, director of HarvestPlus.
The three-day event will raise the visibility of biofortification as a promising agricultural intervention for public health, explore the current state of biofortification, and chart the future of biofortification by identifying gaps and synergies. In addition to keynote speeches and panel discussions, prominent global experts in breeding, nutrition, economics, and public health will conduct participatory workshops.
Biofortification, the breeding of food crops with higher nutritional value, is a new and promising agriculture technology that can be used to reduce the suffering caused by malnutrition. The Copenhagen Consensus in 2008 cited biofortification as one of the top five solutions to the world’s greatest challenges. HarvestPlus works with more than 200 scientists in 40 countries to research, develop, and disseminate nutrient-rich staple crops for Africa and Asia. However, HarvestPlus is just one of many organizations working in the field of biofortification. Rarely do these various actors have an opportunity to come together and share their work, as they will this November.
The conference will be held November 9–11, 2010 at the Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center in Washington, D.C. Registration for the conference is now open, and discounts for early registration are available until August 1st. Email biofortconf@cgiar.org if you are interested in receiving an invitation to register. For additional information, visit the event website.
