Speaker:  SHENGGEN FAN（DIRECTOR GENERAL INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE）

Time: 10:30, Monday, 12th December

Venue: Room 104, International Center, South Campus

Shenggen Fan has been director general of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) since 2009.

Dr Fan joined IFPRI in 1995 as a research fellow, conducting extensive research on pro-poor development strategies in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. He led IFPRI’s program on public investment before becoming the director of the Institute’s Development Strategy and Governance Division in 2005.

He is one of the Champions of Target 12.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals, dedicated to inspiring ambition, mobilizing action, and accelerating progress toward cutting global food loss and waste. He serves as a member of the Lead Group for the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement appointed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. He serves as advisor to many national governments (including China and Vietnam) on agriculture, food security and nutrition. 

In 2014, Dr. Fan received the Hunger Hero Award from the World Food Programme in recognition of his commitment to and leadership in fighting hunger worldwide.

Dr Fan received a PhD in applied economics from the University of Minnesota and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Nanjing Agricultural University in China.

Abstract：

The world has made great progress in improving food security and nutrition. Yet multiple burdens of malnutrition persist: nearly 800 million people suffer from hunger, 2 billion people are micronutrient deficient, 156 million children under five are stunted, and 1.9 billion people are overweight or obese. Furthermore, food systems are under pressure from current and emerging trends and challenges, including rapid urbanization, changing diets for more and better food, environmental degradation, climate change, and food safety concerns. China, for example, has been rocked by a number of food safety scandals and agriculture-related health hazards in recent years, ranging from contaminated milk powder to the selling of contaminated meats. Addressing food safety issues and other key challenges is key to achieving nutrition-based food security in China and beyond. This presentation will discuss the role of innovations in policy, institutions, and technology for improving food security and nutrition in the new global and national contexts.

Office of International Cooperation and Exchange
9th December, 2016