Northumberland Learning Connection

COMING THIS FALL: OCTOBER 16 – NOVEMBER 27

Our new series, Feeding a Changing World, will explore the complex forces reshaping the food we eat; how it’s produced; and why it matters. We’ll delve into the global networks that move it, and the urgent challenge of producing enough to feed the world in an era of climate disruption and trade wars. We’ll examine the impact of consumer-driven trends like organics and the “Made in Canada” movement, and how food has evolved from sustenance to entertainment. And because our home is Northumberland County, we’ll look at cutting-edge farming techniques!

Events will take place on Thursday evenings October 16, 23, 30 and November 13, 20, 27 at 7:30 pm in the Cobourg Columbus Community Centre, 232 Spencer St. East. Tickets are $25 each (buy a “One Click” package for $150).

There’s also a FARM TOUR on Saturday, October 25 – $15 (not included in the Thursday evening ticket package price).

Events will be recorded. Ticket purchasers will be sent recordings after the event.

A limited number of free tickets to speaker events are available for Northumberland County secondary students. Contact Joanne O'Sullivan for information about NLC's Education Program at mjoanne.osullivan@gmail.com.

NLC. Always food for thought.

Thanks to our media partners

GO TO TICKET PAGE

How the world eats and why it’s changing

**David Donnan** teaches a graduate course on the Future of Sustainable Food & Agriculture at Northwestern University. A proud Canadian, he holds both an engineering degree and an MBA from the University of Toronto. Dave has been in the food industry for over 40 years, as an engineer, running food plants, managing companies, and consulting to many of the largest food and agriculture companies in the world. Dave will set the stage for our program on food by exploring how politics, demographics, culture, technology and the environment are changing the food industry and how we eat. With 75% of the world's food generated from only 12 plants and 5 animal species, the global food system is highly vulnerable. But there is good news too, in breakthrough technologies, innovations in sustainability, and novel food processing techniques.
**THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 7:30 PM**

Geopolitics and the global food system

Jennifer Clapp is a Professor and Canada Research Chair in Global Food Security and Sustainability in the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability at the University of Waterloo. Dr. Clapp will outline the key dynamics in the global politics of food, including the global hunger situation and key drivers of food insecurity that include conflict, trade practices, corporate concentration, and climate change. It will examine the impacts of recent geopolitical shifts in the global order and their implications for food security outcomes around the world. The talk will also consider the kinds of policy shifts required to transform food systems to make them more equitable and sustainable.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 7:30 PM

Important information about the October 30th event

Fare Share

Our October 30th event, described below, will support the efforts of the Northumberland Fare Share Food Bank. A portion of ticket sales will be donated by NLC, and representatives from Fare Share will be on hand to collect food or a monetary gift from attendees who wish to provide their individual support.

Close to home: Food insecurity in Canada

**Sara Edge** is the Arrell Chair in Food, Policy & Society, and and Associate Professor at the University of Guelph. Dr. Edge’s presentation will explore the social and environmental drivers of food insecurity and related inequities and injustices across Canada’s increasingly diverse society. She will also discuss emerging innovations, including the vital importance of community, in strengthening sustainable and equitable food access.
FOR EVERY TICKET PURCHASED FOR THIS EVENT, A DONATION WILL BE MADE TO THE NORTHUMBERLAND FARE SHARE FOOD BANKS. Please bring a non-perishable food item when you attend.
**THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 7:30 PM**

When farming is your life

Paul Burnham and his family have been operating a family farm for six generations on County Road 2 between Cobourg and Port Hope. As we tour the fields, buildings and machinery, Paul will share the challenges of small-scale farming, educate us on the importance of soil management, and discuss the future of family farms in Canada.

The tour will last approximately 1–1.5 hours. Space is limited, so get your tickets soon.

**SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 3:00 PM**

Are we all “foodies” now?

**Josée Johnston** and **Shyon Baumann** are both sociology professors at the University of Toronto, known for their research and writing on food and consumer culture. In this talk, Dr. Johnston and Dr. Baumann will explore how ideas like authenticity and exoticism continue to serve as key criteria in defining “good food” – but that our tastes are increasingly shaped by algorithms, digital aesthetics, and powerful social messages. How might food culture become more inclusive, community-building, depolarizing, and sustainable, allowing more people to “eat well” in today’s world?
**THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 7:30 PM**

The marketing of food

**Sadaf Mollaei** is the Arrell Chair in the Business of Food and an Assistant Professor at the University of Guelph. Dr. Mollaei is interested in studying the promotion of sustainability through interventions and sustainable marketing, especially among critical sub-group populations such as young adults and children. This talk will explore the evolving consumer experience at the retail level, examining how trends in health, ingredients, and sustainability shape what shoppers encounter on store shelves, from product labeling and assortment to marketing strategies. We will also discuss how consumers can navigate this complexity to make informed food choices amidst an abundance of options.
**THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 7:30 PM**

Futuristic farming

As the series closes, **Thomas Graham** offers a hopeful vision for the future of farming – grounded in science, innovation, and sustainability.
Drawing on his expertise in Controlled Environment Agriculture and bioregenerative life-support systems for long-duration human space exploration, he shows how cutting-edge research is transforming food production both in Ontario and across Canada.
From tackling food insecurity in remote (and not so remote) communities, to applying space science here on Earth, Dr. Graham will explore how advancing and emerging technologies are helping farmers grow more with less – using biological tools, big data, automation, and resource-efficient methods.
**THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 7:30 PM**