NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release

“The Importance of Feeding our neighbours & the world”

Rally call from the first summit for Animal Agriculture

Ottawa, November 4, 2011 –Farming and food leaders from across Canada came together in Ottawa on October 17-18 at the inaugural Summit for Animal Agriculture to discuss issues of critical importance to everyone in attendance, in particular, ‘How do we feed the world using less land and fewer resources?’ The summit brought agri-food industry stakeholders together to discuss how to help shape the direction animal agriculture needs to build a sustainable future – both in Canada and around the world.

The line-up of internationally-recognized speakers was led by Dr. Alastair Summerlee, President and Vice Chancellor of the University of Guelph with a compelling presentation, “Feeding A Hungry World: Hunger Has No Boundaries”.
The second day included a unique opportunity for dialogue between the farmers, agri-business, researchers, government and food industry leaders in attendance as they generated ideas on what needs to happen in the future - both immediately and for the next generation of farmers.

The five pillars of a sustainable food system include food safety, human well-being, animal health and welfare, the environment and economics. The challenge ahead is how to ensure all five pillars are supported by a strong social contract.
Dr. John Kennelly, chair of the task force that provided leadership for the summit, provided some thoughtful insights on moving forward with next steps. “The Summit is not intended as a one-time event. This was a great opportunity to hear the message that feeding people needs to be a bigger priority in Canada. Our Task force will commit to providing forums and opportunities based on the valuable feedback we received from the stakeholders at the summit.”

Copies of the thought-provoking presentations from the Summit are available on the Farm Care Foundation’s website, www.farmcarefoundation.ca. 

The Farm Care Foundation is a new charity with the mandate to enhance public trust in food and farming across Canada. For more information about the charity, visit www.farmcarefoundation.ca. 

For more information:
Dr. John Kennelly, Chair, Summit for Animal Agriculture Task Force Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.   (780) 492-2133
Crystal Mackay, Farm Care Foundation Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.   (519) 837-1326