UNews - food security

Understanding the consequences of the global livestock revolution

trevor.kenney — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 17:55:47 +0000

The past, present and future of Lethbridge’s livestock industry, and the possible effects of current global meat consumption trends on Canada’s economy, come into sharp focus through the research of economic geographer Dr. Ian MacLachlan.

A professor in the Department of Geography at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, MacLachlan has documented the historical evolution of food animal production in Lethbridge from the 1950s onwards. He also studies today’s global geographical shifts in livestock production and consumption, analyzing the implications of rising demand for meat and other types of animal products in developing countries, and the simultaneous declining demand for these products in Canada. MacLachlan would ultimately like to better understand the economic and environmental consequences of these trends, and the potential opportunities and risks they pose for Canada’s livestock industry.

Dr. Ian MacLachlan says that as more and more developing countries see their prospects rise, the changing dietary habits of their populations could create lucrative opportunities for Canada’s agricultural sector.

“The global food animal population is going up extremely rapidly, and that is the exact opposite of the kind of trend that we’re seeing in North America,” MacLachlan says. “It’s important to study this trend in food animal production from a human welfare perspective and from an environmental perspective.”

MacLachlan grew up a self-described “city kid” in Montreal, and completed his geography degrees at Carleton ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Toronto. But in 1990, just months into the beginning of his teaching career at the U of L, he took his students on a field trip to a local meat-packing company, and the experience ignited his curiosity about the region’s cattle farming and beef production activity.

“It caused me to ask a bunch of questions about the origins of and changes to the industry, and I just got more and more fascinated. When I couldn’t find the answers in the library, I started trying to answer them myself,” he says.

The answers he came up with reveal the how’s and why’s of livestock production in Lethbridge over the last several decades, beginning with the creation of the Lethbridge Stockyards in 1950, the “kill and chill” packing plants of the 1960s, the growth of Alberta’s cattle feedlots in the late 1980s and 1990s, and the collapse of the booming cattle-finishing sector after the discovery of the fatal neurodegenerative cattle disease bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Alberta in 2003.

These days, MacLachlan mostly focuses on better understanding the dimensions of what has become known as the “livestock revolution” – today’s unprecedented global-scale changes in the consumption of animal food products such as meat, poultry and dairy products, which is being driven largely by skyrocketing demand in countries such as China, India and Brazil. Specifically, he would like to answer the bigger questions about these trends, such as: How is consumer demand for livestock-source food connected to the observed dietary changes of consumers? What are the ecological implications of growth in different livestock species and regions? And, will increased livestock production provide income growth and development opportunities in rural regions of developing countries?

As more and more developing countries see their prospects rise, the changing dietary habits of their populations could create lucrative opportunities for Canada’s agricultural sector, he says. But he says it’s important for nations to consider the bigger picture when making policy and regulatory decisions about their livestock industries.

“When we look at the development issues in the world, providing food security for the world’s seven billion people is one of the key challenges,” MacLachlan says. “To what extent do we need to regulate some of these livestock production activities more closely in order to mitigate the environmental and animal health impacts and keep the industry sustainable? And to what extent can we work to promote and foster locally-based institutional adaptations to this change in agricultural land use?”

Open Mike - May 2012, Taking advantage of new channels

trevor.kenney — Mon, 07 May 2012 17:20:13 +0000

There are many ways to tell the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge story and to get that message beyond our borders – the last week being a perfect example.

A YouTube video produced by new media student Matthew Lunde has gone viral, giving the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ new media program unprecedented exposure in markets it likely never would have entered through traditional means. The video (Stormtrooper Shuffle) is a parody of Star Wars' evil Stormtroopers dancing to the popular LMFAO hit Party Rock Anthem.

Lunde is one of the program's top students and among the latest to earn an internship with the Canadian Space Agency. The Stormtrooper Shuffle was not a class-related project, nor is it intended as an endorsement of the U of L, but the fact that it has racked up more than 100,000 views means it is reaching people and garnering the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the new media program specifically, a lot of attention.

Exploring new channels to get the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's message out to a worldwide audience is something we can learn from our students.

We often talk about the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as a destination university, with a strong majority of our students coming from outside of southern Alberta. We are focused on continuing to grow our reputation throughout the country and around the globe and this video tells me that there is much to be learned from our students.

While it is important to continue to foster relationships through face-to-face methods, this quirky, funny video has shown that our story can be told in a variety of ways and our students are at the forefront of these unique methodologies. And at the end of the day, a student testimonial, or in this case, a showcase of skills learned while studying at the U of L, carries more weight than any advertising material.

Having said that, furthering the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's interests internationally using personal relationship building continues to be very important. Last month I spoke about the work we did in Mexico City, Beijing and Hong Kong, exploring our historic connections with these areas and opening doors for the possibility of future collaborations.

Recently, I visited Brazil as part of a group that includes 30 Canadian university presidents. The goal of the excursion, led by Governor General David Johnston, is to showcase Canadian university opportunities and to strengthen relationships with Brazil, a country identified as a rapidly growing economic powerhouse.

Intriguing to me are the many similarities that exist between Brazil and Alberta, and the commitment by the Brazilian government to expand its academic and research capacity. This is a country that has established a Science Without Borders program, creating over 70,000 scholarships for students to travel and learn outside of Brazil.

With an economy rich in oil and gas reserves that is also working hard to find answers to environmental questions, a commitment to developing aerospace technology, health-sciences, food security and agriculture related issues, and interests around water and the environment, I see the potential of developing a number of connections between Brazil and the work we do here at the
U of L.

It is an exciting time in that the world really is at our doorstep and it is important we continue to reach out and develop relationships that will further internationalize our university.

This story first appeared in the May issue of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Investigating global population and economies

trevor.kenney — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 21:11:23 +0000

The extent and implications of population change and the dynamics of economies raise questions that demographers and social scientists alike are working to better understand. Taken together in a global context, the number of questions only increases. Yet both population and economies affect our lives, our choices and our policies.

At the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, global population challenges are explored from different angles and potential solutions are investigated in new ways.

By DANA YATES

Like many people, John Prentice of Calmar, Alta., dreamed of making a difference in the world. But the late agri-business entrepreneur and philanthropist didn't just stop there; he wanted to change the course of history altogether.

It was an ambitious goal – and one that prompted Prentice, along with his wife Connie, to donate more than $8 million to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in 2006. The endowment marked the largest-single gift in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's history and established the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy. The institute, which was officially launched in 2009, studies changes in the world population and their lasting impact on demographics, economies and societies.

Just a short time later, the Prentice Institute has become a leading research centre, one of only a few worldwide that is focused on global population changes and the economy. What's more, the institute has attracted many external research grants and is building graduate programs, along with bringing together 20 research affiliates from across eight departments at the U of L.

From looking at how people move through life stages in different economies with different demographic structures, to questions of food security, ethnic diversity, immigration and international trade, the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is at the cutting edge of demographic research.

"It's magical when you get that cross-pollination of expertise," says Dr. Trevor Harrison, a U of L sociology professor who served as the Prentice Institute's interim director between 2007 and 2009.

At the Prentice Institute, sociologists, historians, anthropologists and economists work alongside experts in such diverse fields as nursing, public health, political science and women's studies. Those researchers, in turn, create partnerships with experts across Canada and around the world. The result: global population challenges are explored from different angles and potential solutions are investigated in new ways.

"John Prentice was a big thinker," says
Dr. Susan McDaniel, the institute's current director. She also holds the Prentice Research Chair in Global Population and Economy, the first endowed position of its kind at the U of L. "John was a Renaissance man who understood how things were connected."

Indeed, many forces and factors affect – and are connected to – the global population and economy. But the links between the former and latter are not well understood. Prentice Institute researchers are advancing our understanding of this relationship and using data to verify or refute popular beliefs about demographic changes. This "myth-busting" practice can be applied to numerous situations, says McDaniel.

"We often hear, for instance, that providing health care to an aging population will bankrupt the system," she explains. "In reality, there are much wider concerns. Medical treatments are expensive, and there is a deepening problem of poverty and the health issues associated with it."

To that end, Prentice Institute researchers are studying various issues that appear, at first blush, to be unconnected. They include international trade, migration, aging and family size. But while the subjects may seem disparate, McDaniel says cause-and-effect relationships are at work – and they are having a major impact on the world's citizens.

"Growing inequalities, for example, are happening in developed countries, such as Canada and the United States, and in developing countries, too. These inequalities cause health problems and lower everyone's life expectancy," says McDaniel. The process, she explains, is similar to an illness spreading through a classroom. If one unvaccinated child becomes sick, others will inevitably be affected.

That concept of social ramifications is one in which McDaniel is well versed. An internationally recognized sociology researcher and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, her expertise includes demographic aging, generational relationships, family change and the social impacts of technology. Before joining the Prentice Institute and the U of L Department of Sociology two years ago, McDaniel was a professor of family and consumer studies at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Utah and a senior scholar at its Institute of Public and International Affairs.

Having lived in Alberta before, McDaniel's return north of the border has helped attract other researchers to the Prentice Institute. Among them is Dr. Kathrin Komp, a post-doctoral fellow from VU ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Amsterdam. Other researchers, such as Drs. Harrison and Alexander Darku, who were U of L faculty members before the Prentice Institute was created, currently serve as the institute's associate directors. Their collective experience and expertise have made a significant impact on the institute.

For example, Darku, an assistant professor of economics at the U of L, previously taught at McGill and Concordia Universities. He has also served as a consultant to the World Bank at its Washington, D.C., headquarters and has worked as an economist in Ghana. Through his association with the Prentice Institute, Darku has noticed a shift in his research interests.

Whereas he was previously focused strictly on economic policies and international development, he now studies the interplay among international trade, migration and health. Specifically, Darku is currently looking at the growth of multinational companies in developing countries and the resulting impact on populations' eating habits. The situation, Darku has found, contributes to a "nutritional shift" within a population and can increase obesity rates.

"The interdisciplinary nature of the Prentice Institute has brought many new dimensions to my research," says Darku.

Harrison, meanwhile, has shared his research with new audiences; he has spoken at a number of presentations hosted by the institute. Once a visiting professor at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta and Hokkai-Gakuen ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Japan, Harrison was the 2010 Fulbright Visiting Research Chair in Canadian Studies at Georgia's Kennesaw State ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. As a researcher and guest lecturer at the university, he brought a Canadian perspective to the relationship between Canada and the United States since Sept. 11.

Today at the Prentice Institute, Harrison – like Darku – balances his research with administrative responsibilities. And it seems both areas involve big-picture thinking.

"We're developing programs that will keep the institute moving forward. Ultimately, we're creating a research infrastructure that supports creative thinking and incubates good ideas."

One example is a policy concept known as a guaranteed annual income (GAI). While there are many different approaches to a GAI, the initiative would essentially provide each citizen with a base sum of money. Harrison has studied this complex issue since the 1970s, and while the logistics of implementing a GAI system would be considerable, it would also offer a number of advantages. They include administrative efficiencies, the reduction or elimination of poverty and an increasingly mobile workforce that can afford to move around the country.

GAI supplements, however, are just one of many ideas being analysed at the Prentice Institute. And it's all part of an effort to inform public and private policies that will better reflect, and keep up with, a changing Canada and world. To raise awareness of this vital work, Prentice Institute researchers participate in conferences and dialogue sessions, and contribute to articles, journals and books. Finally, there are future plans to build international partnerships with sister institutes.

"There are many challenges that governments, corporations, education systems and individuals have to address," says McDaniel. "But once they have the information they need, they have the potential to act upon it.

"People are hungry for knowledge. And we're training them how to look beyond myths and build a better society. It will lead to better voters, parents, consumers and caregivers."

What can we learn from other countries with regard to population aging and social policy?

Population aging and economic challenges have raised questions about how social policy regimes are, or will be, affected in various types of economies. Some research indicates a downward convergence across countries is inevitable as global economic and demographic pressures work to bring greater homogeneity to social policies. Other studies suggest that demographic and economic pressures can actually have stimulating effects on social policies.

To address these issues, Prentice Institute researchers are investigating Japan, which has experienced population aging and economic challenges simultaneously. Scholars are analysing changing relations among demographics, economics and social policy. They ask what opportunities can be discerned from the experience of Japan for re-creation of social policy regimes elsewhere in the 21st century. Ultimately, researchers will widen the comparative lens to include other Asian and developed countries. The findings from this crucial research will guide policy-makers in various countries facing similar challenges.

Is there a "Canadian exceptionalism" in issues related to immigration and diversity?

The rapid rise in ethnic diversity in immigrant-receiving countries has resulted in a general anti-diversity, anti-multiculturalism sentiment. Some studies indicate that a generalized trust is more difficult to foster in a multicultural society, resulting in a loss of sense of community and togetherness. However, other research suggests that Canada might be immune from these largely European trends.

At the Prentice Institute, researchers are investigating the extent of, and the reasons for, this Canadian exceptionalism. A clearer understanding of the differences among ethno-racial groups in terms of labour-market integration and social capital could make a significant difference in the lives of Canadians and the global community.

To what extent is population, at root, a problem with respect to food security?

Food is a basic resource essential for human survival. It is estimated that at the end of 2009, more than one billion of the world's population did not have adequate food to meet basic nutritional needs. As the most populous country in the world, China is constantly challenged in providing food for its citizens. Given the sheer size and strategic prominence of China, food security there is a global concern.

As leaders of an international team, researchers at the Prentice Institute are examining the stress points related to food security in various regions in China. The set of indicators of food security and rural development they develop will be an important assessment tool in China and around the world.

How can we achieve economic equality in developing countries?

Throughout most of human history, the conditions of human life have varied from difficult to tolerable, from starvation to subsistence. In some parts of the developing world, these conditions have not changed much, while in others, progress has been made. Disparities in the distribution of economic assets and income exist in a wide range of societies and their nature and cause are issues our world must address.

Researchers at the Prentice Institute are studying how international trade can lead to growth and the distribution of income, especially in developing countries. Another crucial line of research focuses on the relationship between business cycles, poverty and income inequalities.

How will social policy address our aging population?

Wayne Gretzky is credited with saying, "You must skate to where the puck will be." In contemplating the future of aging populations, policy often skates instead to where the puck is now. The presumption is that by studying those who are older now, we can understand those who will be older in the future. But... the older of tomorrow will be very different, as will the socio-economic contexts in which they live.

As leaders of a Canada/U.S. multidisciplinary team, Prentice Institute researchers are studying how people in mid-life in Canada and the U.S. are aging in terms of health and overall well-being. How they help (or not) younger and older relatives now and as they age, and how they anticipate their later years relative to their older relatives now and their younger relatives as they reach their later years, are two of the important questions being addressed. These studies will yield a wealth of information that is critical to addressing policy and family needs in the future.

This story first appeared in SAM Magazine. For a look at SAM in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Ripples in history - bringing hope through clean water

trevor.kenney — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:55:55 +0000

Kevin Rumsey (BSc '00) vividly remembers one of the first times he met with a group of elders and other survivors in an Afghan community ravaged by decades of war and extreme poverty. He was sitting on a dusty floor in a mud hut, sipping tea with the group and attempting to explain what he was there to do: provide clean water, sanitation facilities and hygiene solutions for their weary, war-torn town. It was the reaction of those in the gathering that stands out most in Rumsey's memory.

"It was an overwhelming wave of gratitude," Rumsey recalls. "The smiles and sheer joy on all of the people's faces, hands over their hearts, genuine handshakes and sincere thanks – what a privilege to do this kind of work and receive that sort of reaction for it. It was a humbling experience."

Kevin Rumsey (BSc '00) brings hope and tides of change to war-torn Afghanistan.

Rumsey, who recently concluded his service in Afghanistan, began his time there in November 2008 under the auspices of ACF (Action Against Hunger/Action Contre la Faim) International – a humanitarian organization founded in France in 1979. Active in more than 35 countries worldwide, ACF provides emergency aid and long-term solutions to populations suffering from malnutrition and food security, as well as lack of clean water, sanitation and access to public health. Rumsey first heard about ACF while working toward a master's degree in Peacebuilding at Royal Roads ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, but had an inclination toward this line of work much earlier. When the opportunity to work for ACF arose, Rumsey essentially leapt at it.

"I would have gone anywhere. It just happened to be Afghanistan," he says. "ACF gave me the offer and 24 hours to accept or reject it. After a couple of hours of soul-searching, and discussions with family and friends, I accepted."

While in Afghanistan, Rumsey traversed the country, venturing into remote, desolate and often volatile areas to make strides in providing legions of people with some very basic, yet essential services. While the posting wasn't Rumsey's first experience with humanitarian efforts (he previously volunteered on water projects in both east India and Kenya with Rotary International, and worked in post-tsunami Indonesia as an environmental specialist with a private consultation company), it was the first time he had worked in the throws and fallout of a country at war. The dangers didn't deter him. In fact, the risks are part of what attracted him to the job.

"I was drawn to the humanity of instability for some reason," Rumsey says. "The impact for me was knowing that I was living in the moment and making a difference to people in need."

As the coordinator for water, sanitation and hygiene for ACF in Afghanistan, Rumsey was in charge of six projects that will ultimately impact the lives of approximately 170,000 Afghan people. Heading up a 40-member national staff, Rumsey also oversaw the development of funding proposals for new water projects and represented ACF at strategic coordination meetings with various governments and international organizations, including UNICEF.

Rumsey's objective may have been broad – to provide safe water, sanitation facilities and hygiene promotion to vulnerable people – but the tasks toward achieving it were specific and labour intensive. In Kabul, Rumsey and his team put in 100 hand-pump water wells, 300 pour-flush latrines and provided hygiene kits and education to 4,500 families. In Parwan province, the entourage headed up a pipeline project, rehabilitating a reservoir and installing a kiosk network to provide clean water to 7,000 families. In Samangan province, Rumsey laid the groundwork to combat cholera, an outbreak that affected 2,500 people last year.

It was exhaustive and dangerous work with the Taliban shoring up ranks and the risk of kidnapping very high. Suicide bombings were common, and men armed with AK-47s walked the streets as casually as businessmen carry briefcases in any Canadian city. Still, Rumsey felt lucky to be there.

"I met some beautiful people and made many friends," he says. "I admit I was nervous to go, but I felt prepared and excited too."

Rumsey left Afghanistan at the end of April with mixed emotions.

"I leave behind many friends and colleagues who have been very supportive. I leave behind my national staff who has worked so hard. I will miss them very much. I have been so fortunate to have had this experience."

While he acknowledges the challenges for Afghanistan are enormous, Rumsey remains hopeful for the country's future, believing wholeheartedly that a safe, sustainable water supply is the foundation for peace and development.

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