Sowing the Seeds - NIEL Conference 2008

Wednesday 18 June 2008

Wednesday 18 June 2008

9.30am

3.45pm

Cultra Manor- Ulster Folk and Transport Museum

£20 for non-members

Event

Agriculture currently uses three quarters of the world’s fresh water, occupies 40% of the available land surface and is responsible for 30% of global greenhouse emissions. Increased demand from rapidly growing economies, poor harvests due to an increasingly variable climate, the use of food crops for biofuels, an increasing global population, high energy costs and volatile food prices affect everyone. While this is an issue for all of us, it is pushing the world’s poorest people to the brink, and beyond, of starvation.

In Northern Ireland there are conflicting demands on our land for providing food, energy, space for recreation and leisure, nature conservation and development. There are both exciting opportunities and signfiicant challenges to farmers, land managers, policy makers and the public, all of whom have important roles and at times competing interests. Consumers are becoming more conscious of the impacts of their choices on their own health and that of the environment. Climate change both at home and globally will have significant effects on the availability and cost of food and alternative demands on land.

The conference will look at these and other questions and contribute to the debate on how we will adapt to the many challenges ahead so as to benefit Northern Ireland’s people, economy and environment. Proactive and creative policies developed and implemented now will ensure positive outcomes. Delay could leave us ill prepared and struggling to compete.