The Must-Attend Event Will Feature Keynote Conversations and Thoughtful Explorations of Global Solutions from May 22 to 24, 2018
TORONTO, ON – (May 14, 2018) - Uniting industry change-makers in a celebration of innovation in agriculture and food, the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute’s (AFI) inaugural Arrell Food Summit takes place Tuesday, May 22 and Wednesday, May 23 at the University of Guelph, and Thursday, May 24 at Four Seasons Hotel Toronto. Through dynamic speakers and the Arrell Global Food Innovation Awards, attendees can expect a hub of thought-provoking information – the product of world-class research – and no shortage of networking opportunities. Guests will leave armed with insight on innovations that will help us sustainably feed the planet as we move closer to a global population of 9 billion people.
The Arrell Food Summit’s captivating speakers include astronaut, medical doctor, author, and photographer, Roberta Bondar; Head of Technology Industries at the World Economic Forum, Danil Kerimi; Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of George Weston Limited, Galen G. Weston; adjudicator for the Arrel Food Innovation Awards, Sheila Watt-Cloutier; and Hope Professor of Zoology at Oxford University and Director of the Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Food, Sir Charles Godfray, to name a few. Guests will also gain insight from voices that represent everyone from local farmers, to food inspectors and PhD students.
“The Arrell Food Summit unites some of the most influential, forward-thinking figures in the global food economy,” said Professor Evan Fraser, Director of the Arrell Food Institute. “Our goal in the establishment of the Arrell Food Institute was to inspire the next generation of food and agriculture thought leaders and to effect real-world change, and the summit offers an impactful opportunity to do just that, as we bring different perspectives together.”
Arrell Food Summit sessions will address all aspects of the food production industry, from the challenging of traditional assumptions on food waste, to artificial intelligence for the greenhouse industry, mental health in agriculture, adapting to changing food circumstances, and what a food policy for Canada could look like.
As part of the programming, the Arrell Global Food Innovation Awards Gala – held on May 24 in Toronto – will offer optimism and inspiration as it recognizes individuals or groups who have made significant contributions toward a more sustainable, safe, equitable, and nutritious global food system. The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, will speak at the dinner, and winners Solidaridad, a Netherlands-based founding organization of the fair trade label, and Harvard University professor Dr. Samuel S. Myers will each receive $100,000 at the summit in recognition of their achievements.