The Precarious Alliance: Strengthening Human Networks and Natural Systems
Delaware Valley College, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, USA
October 8 - 9, 2010
Abstracts: March 10, 2010
Delaware Valley College will host a series of multi-disciplinary sustainability symposia, The Precarious Alliance: Strengthening Human Networks and Natural Systems, to explore how we can adapt our human networks to reduce and reverse trends of environmental degradation, economic instability and social disparities.
The symposia will integrate business, science, and humanities to explore the interconnectedness of our human, natural and built systems and explore government policies, current practices, and human nature that affect these systems.
The first symposia is scheduled for October 8-9, 2010 and will focus on feeding ourselves: the business, science and human aspects of the food systems – adapting how we produce, process, package, and transport our food to reduce and reverse negative impacts to improve air quality, water quality and quantity, soil health, and social equity.
The symposium will bring together academics, corporations, environmentalists, planners, engineers, local, state and federal officials, architects, planners, and farmers from across the United States to explore a broad array of issues and perspectives, share ideas and collectively explore ways to reverse negative trends. We welcome and encourage the submission of full panels as well as applications from individuals interested in moderating a session.
Delaware Valley College defines sustainability as the interconnectedness of economic viability, environmental health and social equity. Through this symposium we seek to explore the barriers, opportunities, and highlight successes and innovation in moving toward a more resilient and adaptive world. Issues can include but are not limited to:
- Water quality and quantity in relation to food production, processing and packaging
- Waste – reduce and recycle
- Economics of food systems
- Urban agriculture as an economic development tool
- Psychology of consumption
- Psychology of marketing
- Infrastructure and transportation
- Soil health
- Availability of tillable land
- Carbon sequestration
- Greenhouse Gases
- Urban food deserts
- Farm labor issues
- Processing and packaging labor issues
- Know your farmer know your food
- The role of big business
- Innovations in packaging
- Food safety
- Food systems in a volatile world – extreme droughts, extreme & more frequent flooding, and a fragile economy
Confirmed speakers include: Michael Mandelbaum, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and author (The Ideas That Conquered the World: Peace, Democracy, and Free Markets in the Twenty-First Century) one of America’s leading authorities on international affairs,
Marion Nestle, New York University and author (The Politics of Food) nationally known nutritionist and food politics expert,
Robert Kenner, Director and Producer of Food Inc. and Gotham Independent Film award winner,
Michael Gallis, Gallis Associates one of the country’s leading experts on human networks and natural systems.
Panel Session details
Panel sessions will be 90 minutes in length. Each panelist will be allocated 20 minutes with additional time for Q&A.
Submission of Proposals and Deadlines
Please submit your proposal (PDF or Word) to Ann.Brady@delval.edu.
Deadline is March 10, 2010. Proposals will be reviewed by a multi-disciplinary planning committee and you will be notified by April 30th if your proposal is accepted.
Submission Requirements
1. Name, title, affiliation, address, email, phone number, and a CV.
2. Abstract of presentation (500 words or less)
3. Specify any technical requirements
Registration Fees
The registration fee is waived for presenters.
For information concerning workshop content, please contact Ann Brady at
Ann.Brady@delval.edu or 215-489-2977.
