Internationally recognized scientist Hans Herren, president and CEO of the Millennium Institute, USA, and recipient of the 1995 World Food Prize, will deliver an in-person seminar hosted by the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology on Wednesday, Oct. 13 on “Why Is Transforming the Food System Along the Agroecology Principles an Imperative?”
Herren will speak at 4:10 p.m. in 122 Briggs Hall, Kleiber Hall Drive, announced seminar coordinator Shahid Siddique, who will host the speaker. Many of the fall seminars are virtual, but this will be an in-person lecture. Plans are to record it for later viewing.
"It's an honor to have Hans speak in our seminar series," said Siddique, assistant professor of nematology. "Hans is well respected for conceiving and implementing a highly successful biological control program against mealybug and green mites that might have averted one of Africa‘s worst food crisises. He was awarded the World Food Prize for that achievement in 1995."
Herren, a native of Switzerland and an entomologist by training, describes himself as "active in international development, with an emphasis on policy design to meet the (United Nations) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”
The Millennium Institute, headquartered in Washington, D.C., and founded in 1983, is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization "passionate about improving the welfare of individuals on every continent by working with stakeholders to meet the challenges of sustainable development."
Herren lived and worked in agriculture, health and environmental research and capacity development in Africa for 27 years, according to the World Future Council, which also says on its website: "As director of the Africa Biological Control Center of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Nigeria, he conceived and implemented the highly successful biological control program against the cassava mealybug (Phenacoccus manihoti) and the green mite that saved the cassava crop, the staple of 200 million Africans and averted Africa's worst-ever food crisis."
"For this achievement, he was the first Swiss to receive the World Food Prize in 1995. Hans advocates for holistic and multi-stakeholder approaches to development planning that take cognizance of the three dimensions of sustainability, and result from a shared vision of sustainability by all the key actors. Hans holds numerous awards that recognize his distinguished and continuing achievements in original research and advocacy. These include the Right Livelihood Award, Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, Brandenberger Preis, and the Kilby Award. Hans earned his PhD at the Federal Institute of Technology,Zurich, and completed post-doctoral research at University of California, Berkeley. He is also the founder of Biovision Foundation, Switzerland. He is a member of the World Future Council since 2018." (See his complete bioography on Wikipedia.)
The Millennium Institute, founded in 1983 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization described as "passionate about improving the welfare of individuals on every continent by working with stakeholders to meet the challenges of sustainable development."
"We help decision makers apply systems thinking to create a more sustainable, equitable, and peaceful global society," according to the organization's Linked In site. "Our unique approach maps integrated policy options across the sustainability framework for environmental, social and economic benefits to society. We have assisted more than 40 nations and regional groups through the process of identifying goals and strategies that offer all people access to food, water, health care, education, and equal opportunities for women and men. We have assisted more than 40 nations and regional groups through the process of identifying goals and strategies that offer all people access to food, water, health care, education, and equal opportunities for women and men."
In September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Building on the principle of “leaving no one behind,” the new agenda emphasizes a holistic approach to achieving sustainable development for all.
The UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology seminars are held on Wednesdays at 4:10 p.m. All in-person seminars are held in 122 Briggs Hall, while the virtual seminars are broadcast on Zoom. For more information, contact Siddique at ssiddique@ucdavis.edu.
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