Timing: a 2.5 to 4 hours virtual MS TEAMs event on 29th June

Title: Local and global food security shaped by Northern agriculture

Background: Agriculture in the boreal and Arctic region are generally perceived as marginal, low intensity and inadequate to satisfy the needs of local communities and yet are being targeted for increased capacity both for local supply of nutritional food and within the global food system. However, socio-economic changes and the rapid pace of climate change cannot be matched by the rate at which agro-food systems traditionally adapt, and infrastructure and regulations are developed. Development towards sustainable agri-food systems requires prompt support for a transdisciplinary, cross-jurisdictional, long-term perspective to best serve agricultural development in the boreal and Arctic regions while seeking to maximise sustainability at multiple scales and sectors.

Event organisation: Opening plenary (15-25 min); Discussion groups organized in form of moderated breakout sessions (75-120 min; 8-10 participants per topic), Closing plenary (60-80 min).

Topic of the discussion groups: i) Land use and land use change, ii) Farming systems, iii) Environment and biodiversity, iv) Rural development and human health, v) agri-food business models and strategies, and vi) Agricultural policies.