September 20: Improving Food Security by Reducing Post-Harvest Losses

The Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa and Agriculture and Rural Development Department of the World Bank, in collaboration with Abt Associates, Inc. and GrainPro, are pleased to present:

Improving Food Security by Reducing Post-Harvest Losses

September 20, 2011 8:30 am - 1:00 pm

World Bank Main Building, Room MC-2-800 1818 H Street NW Washington, DC 20433

AGENDA

8:30 - Breakfast

9:00 - Introductory Remarks

9:10 - Panel I: Why post-harvest losses matter for food security

• John Lamb, Principal Associate for Agribusiness and Food Security, Abt Associates

• Nancy Morgan, Senior Economist, World Bank

• Allan Jury, Director, US Relations, UN World Food Program

10:00 - Panel II: Leveraging science, technology and innovation to reduce post-harvest losses

• Pradeep Khanna, Associate Chancellor, University Of Illinois, ADM Institute for the Prevention of Post-Harvest Loss

• Phil Villers, President, GrainPro

• James Lowenberg-Deboer, Associate Dean and Director of International Programs in Agriculture at Purdue University

• Martin Gummert, Senior Scientist, Post Harvest Development, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)

11:00 - Panel III: Mainstreaming post-harvest loss reduction in development programming and next steps

• Mark Hawthorne, Agricultural Extension and Market Systems Development Branch, Office of Capacity Building and Development, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)

• Daniel Haileselassie, Africa Continent Manager, GrainPro

• Jacob Maaga, CEO, Africa Commodity Futures Exchange

12:15 - Lunch & Closing Remarks

To register to attend, please click here. Space is limited.

Food & Agriculture Research Intern - Fall 2011

Food & Agriculture Research Intern

Type: Internship, unpaid

Duration: 3 months, full-time or part-time (20 - 30 hours a week)

Start Date: Immediate (flexible)

Position Summary: The Food & Agriculture Research Internship with Worldwatch is a unique opportunity to support and participate in research that drives environmental and agricultural policy. The intern will work closely with the Institute's food and agriculture staff to refine and organize information that will contribute to a project on sustainable agricultural innovations. Responsibilities include: research and fact-checking; collecting, organizing, and managing web content; organizing resources and contacts; providing logistical and administrative support to on-the-ground research; and assisting in writing and outreach that will contribute to and help to promote the ongoing Nourishing the Planet project. Interns will also have the chance to have their name published on prominent environmental websites and in major newspapers and columns around the world.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Excellent writing and communication skills, preferably experience reporting on issues for newspapers, journals, and other publications.

• Experience with web and library research.

• Basic-to-intermediate facility with spreadsheet software, web design, and blogging software.

• Demonstrated experience in and passion for food and agriculture issues--and for the importance of accurate information and analysis to guide environmental decision-making.

• Demonstrated interest and capability in synthesizing complex sets of data.

• Coursework reflecting interest and knowledge of the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of food and agriculture production.

• Experience working for environmental or other sustainability-oriented organizations, as well as international experience, are a plus.

The work requires attention to detail and an ability to carefully and accurately document authoritative sources for all information gathered. Successful interns are comfortable contacting experts to track down data and other information. A curiosity about how the environment relates to social, political, and economic realities and a capacity to see connections across fields and specialties are critical.

To apply, please send a resume, cover letter and writing sample to Supriya Kumar at skumar@worldwatch.org with "Food & Agriculture Research Intern" in the subject line. The recruitment process is open until positions are filled. Due to the volume of applications we receive, we will contact only those persons selected for an interview.

--

Supriya Kumar recently graduated from AU and is currently a Research Fellow at the Worldwatch Institute's Nourishing the Planet project. This internship is a great opportunity!

Link to more internships at the Worldwatch Institute: http://www.worldwatch.org/taxonomy/term/33

Nourishing the Planet's blog: http://blogs.worldwatch.org/nourishingtheplanet/

Saturday, September 3rd: Tar Sands Action at the White House

As many of you know, Bill McKibben spoke last night about the two-week action at the White House in protest of the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.

The last day of action is tomorrow, Saturday September 3rd.

For those of you would like to take part without risk of arrest, there will be a rally at Lafayette Square Park beginning at noon. You will be part of "aerial art," so the organizers are asking that rally-goers wear black shirts and bring water bottles. For more information about the rally and the pipeline see http://www.tarsandsaction.org/

Paul Farmer to speak in DC Monday September 12

Dr. Paul Farmer will be in DC on Monday September 12^th for a public discussion and book signing focusing on his new book, Haiti After the Earthquake, an account of the recovery efforts following the 2010 earthquake. The event will be held from 9-11am at the Ronald Reagan Building. A portion of the event’s proceeds will be donated to Partners In Health, the non-profit organization that provides a preferential option for the poor in health care. (www.pih.org). Dr. Jon LaPook of CBS News will be interviewing Dr. Farmer at the event.

Monday, September 12, 2011

9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (Doors open @ 8:30 a.m.)

Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center Amphitheater

1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20004

Metro Accessible: Metro Center and Federal Triangle

Tickets at: http://hooksbookevents-paulfarmer.eventbrite.com/

Student tickets are available. Tickets will be available at the event as well.

Bill McKibben on campus Thursday Sept 1

Bill McKibben at AU Tomorrow, Thursday, September 1 7:00pm - 8:00pm

MGC 200

Bill McKibben is the author of a dozen books about the environment, beginning with The End of Nature in 1989, which is regarded as the first book for a general audience on climate change. He is a founder of the grassroots climate campaign 350.org, which has coordinated 15,000 rallies in 189 countries since 2009. Time Magazine called him 'the planet's best green journalist' and the Boston Globe said in 2010 that he was 'probably the country's most important environmentalist. In 2011 he was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Two internship opportunities with Greenpeace

Greenpeace Semester

The Greenpeace Semester is now accepting applications for the fall semester in Washington, DC!

You can check out the following link for more information: http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/semester

Greenpeace has trained over 300 students in the Greenpeace Semester - an incredible program that gives college students in the US and Canada the opportunity to spend a semester away from campus and dive into the most pressing environmental issues of our time, to learn the fundamentals of organizing and campaigning from experts in the field, and to receive training in creative direct action.

This is a great opportunity for students to take passion and concern for the environment, receive rigorous and dynamic training to solve real-world problems, and emerge with a life-changing experience and skills they can apply immediately in their community or down their career path.

Our deadline is approaching on May 16th, so please forward this to anyone you may know who may be interested or who may know someone who is interested.



Intern with GREENPEACE in Fall 2011

Build skills while making a difference!

Intern with GREENPEACE in Fall 2011


Who is Greenpeace? Greenpeace is the leading independent environmental campaigning organization that uses peaceful direct action and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and to promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future.

Why intern with Greenpeace?

As a Greenpeace intern you can:

· Promote solutions to the global warming crisis

· Stop the destruction of the world's last ancient forests

· Empower consumers and shareholders to hold corporate polluters accountable

· And yes - save the whales!


A Greenpeace Internship is a great way to learn first-hand how an international environmental campaigning organization works. You’ll gain issue expertise, build valuable career skills and make connections. In addition to job training, you’ll have the opportunity to take part in trainings such as corporate campaigning, non-violent direct action, media relations and grassroots outreach. You’ll get to meet awesome people and work alongside experienced staff in a casual, high-energy environment.




Apply now for a Greenpeace internship! Go to: http://www.greenpeace.org/internships



Available Internships:

Global Warming, Toxics, Campaigns, Grassroots Organizing, Student Organizing, Activist Recruitment, Actions, Media, Photography, Video, Online Organizing, IT Programming, IT Support, Finance, Human Resources, and more! Visit our website for a full list and details on the specific tasks and requirements for each internship.


Locations:

Positions are available in Washington, DC, San Francisco, Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Columbus, Denver, LA, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, Portland, OR, and San Diego. Not all internships are available in all locations. Visit our website to see details on where each internship is offered.


Program Details:

Our fall internships start September 12th and end December 9th. Part time and full time positions available. We are flexible with your schedule and can help you receive class credit. All internships are unpaid. Unfortunately Greenpeace cannot provide travel or housing.


Requirements:

Applicants must be over 18, but do not have to be current students. We’re looking for people with excellent verbal and written communications skills, strong online research skills, the ability to work well independently, commitment to non-violence as a means of affecting change and enthusiasm for protecting the environment.

Diverse perspectives and experience enhance the way Greenpeace selects and approaches issues, as well as the creativity and effectiveness of our campaigns. Greenpeace strongly encourages applications from women, people of color, and other under-represented communities.



Apply now for a Greenpeace internship! Go to: http://www.greenpeace.org/internships

Event - Agricultural Innovation in Africa

The World Bank Science, Technology and Innovation Global Expert Team
and the World Bank Agriculture and Rural Development Sector invite you to:

The U.S. Launch of

The New Harvest: Agricultural Innovation in Africa
by Professor Calestous Juma

April 22, 2011
10:30 am

The World Bank
Preston Auditorium, MC Building
1818 H Street, NW, Washington, DC 20433

Please RSVP by clicking here.

If you cannot attend in person, join the live webcast at: mms://wbmswebcast1.worldbank.org/live

For Windows Media Streaming: http://streaming7.worldbank.org/vvflash/extlive

African agriculture is at the crossroads, with persistent food shortages compounded by new threats from climate change. But despite these challenges the lecture argues that future prospects look promising and the continent can feed itself in a decade. Drawing from his new book, The New Harvest: Agricultural Innovation in Africa, the author identifies three major opportunities that can help transform Africa’s agriculture into a force for sustained economic renewal: unprecedented advances in science and technology and related investments in human capacity; rapid expansion of regional markets and private sector activities; and the rise of new crop of entrepreneurial leaders dedicated to the continent’s economic improvement and improved governance.

Using case studies from Africa and around the world, the lecture provides a basis for the book’s optimism and outlines strategies that can be used by development agencies to help contribute to Africa’s agricultural transformation.


Reviews

"A convincing analysis of the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship in the agricultural sectors of Africa." --Elinor Ostrom, Professor of Political Science, Indiana University, and 2009 Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences

"The New Harvest is a welcome antidote to the pessimistic view of African development of previous decades." --Nature

“The New Harvest provides a welcome relief from the gloom and despair in popular narratives about African agriculture."--Science


Calestous Juma is Professor of the Practice of International Development and Director of the Science, Technology, and Globalization Project at Harvard Kennedy School. He also directs the Agricultural Innovation in Africa Project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and a high-level executive course on Innovation for Economic Development. He is a former Executive Secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and Founding Director of the African Centre for Technology Studies in Nairobi, and he also served as Chancellor of the University of Guyana. He has been elected to several scientific academies including the Royal Society of London, the US National Academy of Sciences, the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World, the UK Royal Academy of Engineering and the African Academy of Sciences. He has won several international awards for his work on sustainable development. He holds a doctorate in science and technology policy studies and has written widely on science, technology, and environment. His book, The New Harvest: Agricultural Innovation in Africa, was published by Oxford University Press in 2011.

Excerpts from the book are available at: http://www.belfercenter.org/global/

The event has been co-sponsored by the World Resources Institute.

Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa
499 S. Capitol St. SW, Suite 500B, Washington, DC 20003 | (202) 479-4501 | www.partnership-africa.org


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Please direct questions or feedback to Rachel Voss at rvoss@partnership-africa.org