AwF Director Dave Conley attends McGill Conference on Global Food Security

AwF Director Dave Conley attends McGill Conference on Global Food Security

McGill’s 6^th Conference on Global Food Security took place in Montreal, Canada on 8-9  October 2013 with about 300 participants from Canada, USA, UK, Ethopia, Kenya, Haiti and numerous other nations in both developed and developing regions of the world. The theme of the conference this year was Strategies against Food Security and Hunger and began with a public lecture by Marco Ferroni, executive director of Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture in Switzerland, on the topic of Government and other Obstacles to Food Security: A Tale of Leadership and Cooperation. 

Aquaculture hub to assist in fight against hunger

As we approach World Food Day (16 October), Aquaculture without Frontiers (AwF) is excited to announce that we have joined the Alliance Against Hunger and Malnutrition (AAHM).

AAHM Coordinator, Ms. Marie-Christine Laporte, said, “The Alliance Against Hunger and Malnutrition is a forward-thinking global initiative that links like-minded organizations and institutions that are involved in the fight against hunger and malnutrition. The Alliance Against Hunger and Malnutrition provides a unique middle ground – a multi-stakeholder platform and forum where those who run top-down and bottom-up development initiatives can meet in a neutral and open environment, share ideas, learn from each other’s successes and lessons, and establish networks for supportive communication within countries, across national borders or with countries in distant parts of the world. We are very pleased to have a dedicated non-governmental aquaculture organization (NGO) to assist our partners and through them a devoted and effective aquaculture ‘hub’.” 

Connecticut high school raises $500 for AwF

Marine Science Magnet High School (www.marinesciencemagnet.org) located in Groton, CT, USA organized a successful fundraising event that garnered $500 for AwF.

Eric Litvinoff, the Aquaculture teacher at the school, is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island. He learned about AwF from one of his professors, Dr. Barry Costa-Pierce, and that information came to mind when he took up his teaching position at Marine Science Magnet H.S. Students at the school are encouraged to do community service, which is the purpose of the Interact Club. AwF came up during discussions by the club members about possible fundraising projects they could do. Consequently, Eric contacted AwF Director Dave Conley to discuss how the students could become involved. 

Sustainable Food Systems for Food Security and Nutrition – World Food Day 2013

“Sustainable Food Systems for Food Security and Nutrition” will be the focus of World Food Day in 2013.

The official World Food Day theme – announced at the start of every year by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) – gives focus to World Food Day observances and helps increase understanding of problems and solutions in the drive to end hunger.

For more info, please visit the FAO website.

McGill Conference on Global Food Security – October 8-9, 2013

Don’t miss the opportunity to participate in this exceptional event! Only a few days left…register now!

Sixth Annual McGill Conference on Global Food Security – “Strategies against Food Insecurity and Hunger”

Join speakers from Africa, Asia, the United Kingdom, USA and Canada as they gather at McGill University from October 8-9, 2013 for the Sixth McGill Conference on Global Food Security.  

Prompt action by AwF on UTMarT collaboration

New AwF Capacity Building Director,
Antonio Garza de Yta

Following the signing of a Cooperation Agreement between Aquaculture without Frontiers (AwF) and the Universidad Tecnológica Del Mar De Tamaulipas Bicentenario (UTMarT) on 15 September 2013, a number of activities have taken place highlighting the importance that both organisations have placed on the arrangements.

Roy Palmer, AwF Executive Director, said, “AwF has immediately appointed Antonio Garza de Yta as its Capacity Building Director with a specific role to manage the AwF Aquaculture Learning Centre at the International Center for Innovation and Technology Transfer for Aquaculture (CIITTA) project with UTMarT. We recognised the very important role that Antonio played in establishing the agreement and the high regard in which he is held. We note that Antonio has also just become the President of the Capítulo Latino Americano y del Caribe de la Sociedad Mundial de Acuacultura (LACC-WAS) and we are grateful to have him on our team.”

AwF contribution to Forum for Agricultural Risk Management in Development

AwF Executive Director Roy Palmer and Director Dave Conley contributed to the recent edition of the World Bank’s FARMD Focus on Risk Management in the Aquaculture Sector.

From Issue No. 13 – Forum for Agricultural Risk Management in Development –

Dear Colleague,

Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing food production sectors. Aquaculture faces risks similar to those of the agriculture sector, however given the complexity of aquaculture in terms of species, environments, and systems the hazards and risks are higher than the crop sector. This FARMD Featured Topic brings together a selection of resources and authors working in the aquaculture sector to address some of these risks and highlight some of the available risk management options.

To read the articles included in this issue, click here.

To read Risk Management for Smallholders in Aquaculture: The Work of Aquaculture without Frontiers, click here.

Novus internship available for 2014 – apply now!

NOVUS International is offering the chance for an aquaculture student to take part in the Novus World Aquaculture Society (WAS) Internship programme in Vietnam.

The four-week internship will be scheduled from June to August, 2014. The intern will work with The Novus Aquaculture Research team on a current project being carried out at the Novus Aqua Research Center in Vietnam – the third largest aquaculture-producing country in the world. 

AwF signs ALC cooperation agreement in Mexico

AwF’s Roy Palmer & Chancellor of UTMarT,
Dr. Guadalupe Acosta Villarreal
with signed Collaboration Agreement

Aquaculture without Frontiers (AwF) is pleased to announce that we have signed a Cooperation Agreement with the Universidad Tecnológica Del Mar De Tamaulipas Bicentenario (UTMarT) based at La Pesca, Soto la Marina, Tamaulipas, México.

The UTMarT currently offers Technical, Bachelor and Graduate programs in aquaculture and is building a new centre in Tampico. The target of this agreement is to jointly develop food security and personnel training in the International Center for Innovation and Technology Transfer for Aquaculture (CIITTA), which will be AwF’s first Aquaculture Learning Centre (ALC).

AwF Executive Director, Roy Palmer, visiting Tampico during his Mexican business trip said, “AwF is very keen to build a strong relationship with UTMarT and be involved in capacity building, engaging in projects and working with students and establishing a firm base within Mexico. There are 130 million people in Mexico, and of those approximately 30-35 million people are considered to be in extreme poverty. We hope to make a difference in assisting with the growth of aquaculture to assist the alleviation of both poverty and hunger and we see this new partnership as a major step in this direction.” 

Aquaculture – eradicating hunger?

July 2013 issue of International Aquafeed magazine – AwF Blog

Thank you for the comments I have received following the first version of this regular blog/column that aims to bring you news and information about Aquaculture without Frontiers (AwF) and the issues that surround our organisation.

It seems that poverty and hunger are getting put in the limelight for the moment with the G8 summit meeting in Northern Ireland. President Obama will be with the group at the annual meeting of the world’s wealthiest countries. I note that the countries look a bit ‘old school’ with the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, and the United Kingdom – China not part of this?

In the U.S. the farm bill and food aid reform is on the domestic U.S. agenda so the President has a rare chance to return to theme of last year and make a lasting impact on world hunger once and for all.