World Food Day Colloquium 2015

Grasslands - secret resource for a hungry world?

October 16th, 2014 | University of Hohenheim

Grasslands are the largest terrestrial ecosystem worldwide, covering a land area of approximately 52.5 million km². Savannas, steppes, and tundras contribute largely to atmospheric carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, as well as fresh water filtration and storage. For millennia, their use for pastoral livestock production has sustained livelihoods of millions of people worldwide.

But, as a result of the growing human population and an increasing demand for food and energy, grasslands are more and more at risk. An intensive debate is therefore going on how to use and conserve these ecosystems in the future. Challenges
related to the increasing intensity and competitiveness in the use of grasslands, the sedentarization of mobile livestock farmers, their access rights to natural resources, and the need for conserving the multiple ecological functions of grassland
ecosystems will have to be addressed. Scientists from different disciplines of the University of Hohenheim are actively involved in grassland research. They presented their perspectives and suggest strategies for a sustainable, future-oriented grassland use.

Program

Download the program as PDF here

08:00 - 09:00	Arrival & Registration	Foyer

09:00 - 09:30	Opening Session	Katharina Hall
	Moderation: Jun. – Prof. Dr. Uta Dickhöfer Institute of Animal Production in the Tropics and Subtropics, University of Hohenheim Welcome Address Prof. Dr. Stephan Dabbert President, University of Hohenheim Dr. Stefan Schmitz Representative of Special Initiative “OneWorld without Hunger”, Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development Prof. Dr. med. Hans K. Biesalski Director, Food Security Center (FSC), University of Hohenheim
09:30 - 11:00	Key Session	Katharina Hall
	10 Years of Global Hunger Index: Claims and Achievements Dr. Klaus von Grebmer Research Fellow Emeritus & Strategic Advisor, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) *Increasing Food Production from Global Grassland Resources. Implications for Food Security, Ecology, Ecology and Livestock nutrition.* Dr. Florian Leiber Department of Livestock Sciences, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FIBL), Switzerland
11:00 - 11:30	Coffee Break	Foyer

11:30 - 12:30	Award Ceremony by Foundation fiat panis	Katharina Hall
	Laudation apl. Prof. Dr. Bettina Haussmann Justus von Liebig Award for World Nutrition 2015 Dr. Eva and Dr. Fred Weltzien-Rattunde
12:30 - 13:30	Lunch Break	Foyer

13:30 - 13:50	Katharina Hall
	Approaches of young scientists from the University of Hohenheim and the Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn Kaderi Bukari, Juliet Kariuki, Sam Mburu, Willis Okumu, Ephraim Sekyi-Annan Chair: Dr. Detlef Virchow Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn
13:50 - 15:30	Katharina Hall	incl. Coffee Break
	Hohenheim’s Perspective: Grassland – the “sleeping giant” Chair: Prof. Dr. Reiner Doluschitz Institute of Farm Management, University of Hohenheim Grasslands: nothing more than a vast natural resource? Prof. Dr. Folkard Asch Institute of Plant Production and Agroecology in the Tropics and Subtropics, University of Hohenheim Ecological footprint of grassland-based ruminant systems Jun.-Prof. Dr. Uta Dickhöfer Institute of Animal Production in the Tropics and Subtropics, University of Hohenheim Sustainable Governance of Grasslands: What are the Challenges? Prof. Dr. Regina Birner Institute of Agricultural Economics and Social Sciences in the Tropics and Subtropics, University of Hohenheim Impact of animal based production systems on human health and nutrition Prof. Dr. med. Hans K. Biesalski Institute of Biological Chemistry and Nutrition, University of Hohenheim
15:30 - 16:45	Panel	Katharina Hall
	Are Grasslands a secret resource for a hungry world? Chair: Dr. Detlef Virchow Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn Discussion with Experts Mathias Mogge Executive Director Programmes, Deutsche Welthungerhilfe Dr. Florian Leiber Department of Livestock Sciences, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FIBL), Switzerland Daoud Abkula International Fellow, International Institute for Environment and Development, UK Prof. Dr. Regina Birner Institute of Agricultural Economics and Social Sciences in the Tropics and Subtropics, University of Hohenheim
16:45 - 17:00	Closing	Katharina Hall
	Dr. Andrea Fadani Foundation fiat panis, Ulm