Our Global Kitchen opens November 17, 2012.

© AMNH/Hinterland

The science behind human food domestication takes us 10,000 years into the past and into the future with even more acceleration. What are the protections and innovations that will ensure a healthy diet and a healthy planet? How can hunger be addressed in a population of 9 billion predicted by 2043? Speakers from Columbia University and the Sackler Institute for Nutrition Science will present and lead discussions with participants. From international food systems to innovations in urban agriculture to individual health, attendees will come away with a better understanding of food security and nutrition on a global, local, and personal level.

Speakers for the day include:

Dr. Mandana Arabi
Dr. Arabi is the Founding Director of The Sackler Institute for Nutrition Science at the New York Academy of Sciences and a highly accomplished nutrition scientist, with years of experience in organizations such as UNICEF and the World Bank. She is an expert in international nutrition, and her research and programmatic work has addressed infant and child nutrition in developing countries, as well as the impacts of globalization and broader social and economic factors affecting nutrition and health in vulnerable populations. She will be presenting on and leading discussions about global nutrition, the interconnectivity of global food systems, and potential solutions for the future.

Dr. Dickson Despommier
A full-time professor in Columbia University’s Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Dickson Despommier, Ph.D., is also the director of the Vertical Farm Project which addresses issues related to urban agriculture, environmental disturbance, and the restoration of damaged ecosystems. Dr. Despommier will be speaking about sustainable cities and discussing the content of his 2010 book, “The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21st Century”.

Kubi Ackerman
Project Director, Urban Design Lab at The Earth Institute, Columbia University
Kubi Ackerman will discuss the role of "design thinking," including spatial analysis and data visualization, in addressing food system resilience and urban food supply. The workshop will focus on agriculture in and around NYC, highlighting the Urban Design Lab's work on food system mapping and implications for food security and provision of ecosystem services to the city.

Hannah Lupien
Food Policy Strategist, West Side Campaign Against Hunger
Hannah Lupien is the Food Policy Strategist for the West Side Campaign Against Hunger. She handles their advocacy and nutrition education programs, and oversees pantry operations, including food procurement. She will be speaking on hunger in America, its political causes and potential solutions.

The Museum greatly acknowledges The Mortimer D. Sackler Foundation, Inc. for its support to establish The Sackler Brain Bench, part of the Museum's Sackler Educational Laboratory, in the Spitzer Hall of Human Origins, offering ongoing programs and resources for adults, teachers, and students to illuminate the extraordinary working of the human brain.

Our Global Kitchen: Food, Nature, Culture was organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (amnh.org).

The exclusive corporate sponsor for Our Global Kitchen Education Programs is CHASE