The Launches

A series of events took place to celebrate the release of One Billion Hungry: Can we Feed the World?

8th October 2012 – Lecture at the Royal Geographical Society – Agriculture for Change by Professor Sir Gordon Conway.

9th October 2012 – Official Global Launch at One Birdcage Walk, London.  Speakers included Gordon Conway, Calestous Juma (Professor of the Practice of International Development, Harvard Kennedy School), Dr. Mo Ibrahim (founder of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation & founder and former chairman of Celtel) and Molly Kinder (Director for Agriculture and Europe policy, ONE).

 

 

 11th October 2012 – Seminar at Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture and Development.

 

 

  12th October 2012 – An evening with Sir Gordon Conway: Can we Feed the World? at Purdue Agriculture. Seminars at Cornell and Purdue University were both attended by about 300 faculty and students and instigated discussions around such issues as the role of new technology, biofuels and transnational organisations.

15th October 2012 – Panel event at the World Bank Infoshop, One Billion Hungry: Can we Feed the World? where Gordon was joined by Christopher Delgado (Adviser, Agriculture and Rural Development Department), Michael Morris (Program Coordinator, Agriculture and Rural Development Department), Madhur Gautum (Lead Economist, Agriculture and Rural Development Department) and Michele McNabb (President, Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa). Attended by some 300 people, panellist Michael Morris introduced the book as ‘an impressive piece of scholarship’’.  With much discussion of the future agenda for agricultural development, attendees voiced comments and questions covering trade, the 1000 days initiative, subsidies, and the wider policy environment.

17th October 2012 – Panel event at the World Food Prize, Setting the Stage – One Billion Hungry: Can we Feed the World? Alongside Gordon speakers included Susan Godwin (Smallholder Farmer, Nigeria), Jane Karuku (President, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa), Gebisa Ejeta (Professor at Purdue University and 2009 World Food prize laureate) and chair, Roger Thurow (Senior Fellow, The Chicago Council on Global Affairs).

The Borlaug Symposium was opened with a discussion of the main theme of Gordon’s book, Can we feed the world? Gordon provided an overview and future strategy of what needs to be done while smallholder farmer, Susan Godwin brought this message to life, describing the challenges she has faced and how through Oxfam’s help as well as her own entrepreneurial drive she has overcome these. The 600 people in the room were kept in thrall by her story and by further messages from Jane Karuku on scaling up and from Gebisa Ejeta around the role of science and research.

Monday 26th November 2012 – Gordon Conway presented his new book to members of the European Commission at InfoPoint in the Directorate General for Development and Cooperation- EuropeAid (DEVCO). The event provided an opportunity to talk about the challenges and solutions as well as the vital role of the European Commission in achieving global food and nutrition security.

The event was hosted by Mr Jean-Pierre Halkin, Head of Unit Rural Development, Food Security and Nutrition, DEVCO, who also spoke at the meeting.  The event was attended by 75 EU officials and NGO representatives.

Tuesday 27th November 2012 – Gordon joined Martin Porter from The Centre and Edelman Brussels, as well as Tamira Gunzburg from ONE, in a panel discussion and Q&A on the issues contained in his book. The audience consisted of over 60 people from the Commission, the European Parliament, NGOs, private foundations, and businesses.