Day 1 :
Keynote Forum
Richard E Goodman
University of Nebraska, USA
Keynote: Global food security is in jeopardy in the coming years partly because of over-regulation and misinformation to consumers
Time : 10:15-10:50
Biography:
Richard Goodman is a research Professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology, in the Food Allergy Research and Resource Program at the University of Nebraska Lincoln in August, 2004. His PhD was earned in Dairy Science at the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH in 1990. He trained in Immunology at Cornell University as a Postdoc and the University of Michigan in Pulmonary. He was an Allergen Program Manager at Monsanto from 1997-2004. He manages the www.AllergenOnline.org database for risk assessment of novel food proteins and is Chair of the WHO/IUIS Allergen Nomenclature Subcommittee.
Abstract:
In 2016, one in nine people in the world were hungry or malnourished and the global population of 7.5 billion in 2017 will
reach 9 billion by 2050. Climate change, population density, reduction in agricultural land and political chaos increasingly disrupt food production and distribution. In the United States, hunger, inadequate nutrition and over-nutrition are growing with significant health consequences. What can we change? Humans are omnivores. Sufficient calories, protein, fats, carbohydrates,vitamins, minerals and water are available from diverse balanced diets (from vegan to near carnivorous). However, food production and consumption patterns are changing. We are all at risk from food borne diseases due to contamination with certain bacteria, viruses and fungi. Appropriate sanitation, food preparation and storage reduce those risks, yet approximately 3,000 people will die from bacterial food poisoning in 2017 and thousands will become sick from Norovirus and a few bacterial species. Food allergy prevalence is between 2% and 10% in the US. Approximately 200 people die each year from IgE mediated food allergies to peanuts or tree nuts and a few to other foods. Celiac disease (CD) is a genetically restricted, T-cell mediated response to glutens from wheat that affects nearly 1.3% of the population. Allergic individuals and those with CD must restrict dietary intake. Yet withholding peanut from diets of infants may be responsible for a three-fold increase in allergy to peanut over 30 years. More than 10% of US consumers avoid gluten, many without CD. Foods made using genetically modified crops will be labeled in 2018 and then avoided by many consumers without evidence of harm. The overall impact of aggressive marketing, false claims by activists and precautious regulations are restricting food availability and raising prices. Food security is tenuous without discussion, understanding and change.
Break: Networking and Refreshments Break 10:50-11:10 @ Cortez Foyer
Keynote Forum
Brian C Hampson
California Polytechnic State University, USA
Keynote: Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) as food: A commodity to better feed the world
Time : 11:05-11:40
Biography:
Brian C Hampson has broad experience as a scientist and professor. He has completed his BS in Genetics and Human Development, MS in Aquatic Biology and a Doctorate degree in Food Science/Microbiology. He has worked as a Scientist for the USDA Agriculture Research Service and McCormick Corporation. As a professor of Food Science, he taught subjects such as food quality assurance, food safety, food product development, food processing, wine and fermented foods and food biotechnology.Early in life, he has worked his way through school employed in the retail food industry. Currently, he is retired from teaching and is involved in craft distillation and Spirulina food production.
Abstract:
The filamentous blue-green algae or cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis and better known as Spirulina, has been with us since the dawn of time. This aquatic microorganism is naturally found in the oceans and is widely sold around the world as a health supplement. In very small amounts, Spirulina is consumed as food. Highly nutritious, the World Health Organization (WHO) considers Spirulina the world’s best super-food and many health experts would agree. The biomass is comprised of about 60% protein and like meat the protein is nutritionally complete containing all the essential amino acids. Comparatively, Spirulina is as rich as blueberries in micronutrients and antioxidants. It also has carotenoid, chlorophyll,
xanthophyll, phycocyanin and phycobilirubin compounds, some unique to cyanobacteria. Having no cell wall, the organism is easily digested, is low in lipid (excluding gamma linolenic acid) and is high in iron. Many studies support the therapeutic uses for Spirulina, hence its widespread use as a supplement to the diet. Until recently, providing fresh, wholesome Spirulina to the general public had not been possible due to several constraining factors including; antiquated growth practices, insanitary growth practices, unsustainable cultivation practices, niche consumer market and several other reasons. One method for pure cultivation is accomplished by use of growth systems called photobioreactors (PBRs). We have worked on the research and development of PBRs for almost 10 years and have developed and tested a PBR specific to the cultivation of Spirulina. Foodgrade (organic) cultivation is now possible at an affordable cost, in a sustainable manner, to produce more nutritious food per hectare than any other crop. Full-scale commercial deployment of our technology is now happening in Southern California and fresh, raw Spirulina is on the market under the brand “Go Spiral”. We see consumer acceptance for fresh Spirulina, but there is a learning curve to overcome.
Keynote Forum
David Denkenberger
Tennessee State University, USA
Keynote: Progress in feeding the earth if there is a global agricultural catastrophe
Time : 11:45-12:20
Biography:
David Denkenberger has received his BS from Penn State in Engineering Science, MSE from Princeton in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and PhD from the University of Colorado at Boulder in the Building Systems Program. His dissertation was on his patent-pending expanded microchannel heat exchanger. He is an Assistant Professor at Tennessee State University in Architectural Engineering. He is also an Associate at the Global Catastrophic Risk Institute. He has received the National Merit Scholarship, the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and is a Penn State Distinguished Alumnus. He has authored or co-authored over 60 publications, including the book “Feeding Everyone no Matter What: Managing Food Security after Global Catastrophe”. He has given over 80 technical presentations.
Abstract:
Several of catastrophes could block the sun, including asteroid/comet impact, super volcanic eruption and nuclear war with the burning of cities (nuclear winter). This represents roughly a 10% probability this century that agriculture would be nearly completely destroyed. The literature also suggests that there is an ~80% chance this century of a 10% global agricultural shortfall due to catastrophes such as a large volcanic eruption, a medium asteroid/comet impact, regional nuclear war, abrupt climate change and extreme weather causing multiple breadbasket failures. Previous work has shown that it is technically feasible to feed everyone in these scenarios by producing alternate food that is not dependent on sunlight but instead on stored biomass and fossil fuels. Previous work has also shown that preparation for this food production would be very low cost, so it would be highly cost-effective and there is great urgency for this preparation. Ongoing work includes estimating the cost of producing the alternate foods during a catastrophe. Further work has been writing response plans at the national, regional and international levels. Several scenario planning exercises have been performed with informative results. An organization has been started to coordinate research and planning work: AllFED. Since this work shows that people have more to gain from cooperation during a catastrophe, this has important implications for peace.