Geneseo’s Office of Sustainability is hosting a two-day symposium to discuss sustainable food systems, with a particular focus on the Genesee Valley. The March 3 and 4 symposium will feature a series of presentations and discussions that will “set the table” for the topic by using the interdisciplinary lenses of culture, technology, agriculture, environmentalism, ethics and economics. All symposium events are open to the public.
A keynote address by internationally renowned environmentalist and scholar David Orr leads off the symposium at 4 p.m. Friday, March 3, in room 214 of Newton Hall.
Orr is the Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics, and special assistant to the president at Oberlin College in Ohio. He is the pioneer of “The Oberlin Project,” which was born out of his vision for a full-spectrum sustainability venture between the town of Oberlin and Oberlin College and its students, the aim of which is to to revitalize the local economy, eliminate carbon emissions, restore local agriculture, food supply and forestry, and create a new, sustainable base for economic and community development.
Orr is a leading scholar, teacher, writer, speaker and entrepreneur, with diverse expertise in the fields of sustainable agriculture, environmental education and climate change. He will specifically address the role of liberal arts education institutions, such as Geneseo, can play in the development and implementation of sustainable food systems and global food security. A reception and book signing opportunity with Orr will follow his talk at 5 p.m.
Later that evening, a community dinner will be hosted by the Genesee Valley Cooperative at the Central Presbyterian Church on Second Street. Tickets are $5 for students and $7 for non-students. As seating is limited, reservations are suggested. For details, visit Geneseo’s Office of Sustainability Facebook page. Tickets will also be available at the door.
On Saturday, March 4, symposium activities begin at 8 a.m. with a coffee reception/registration in room 214 of Newton Hall. A series of interdisciplinary presentations by Geneseo students, faculty and staff, and local community members will follow at 9 a.m. These presentations will set the stage for the roundtable break-out discussion sessions that will begin after lunch, which will be provided. The objective and theme of the break-out sessions will be to discuss how Geneseo, working with our local community, can be a vehicle to promote sustainable food systems and food security on regional, national and global levels.
The symposium is being co-sponsored by Genesee Valley Cooperative and Geneseo’s Campus Auxiliary Services, and the Teaching and Learning Center. For details regarding times, location and registration for the events and meals, visit the Office of Sustainability’s Facebook page or the office’s webpage.
Questions can also be directed to Dr. Robert Gallagher at rsgallagher61@gmail.com.