Yale Food Systems Symposium: Feeding a Growing World – Perspectives in 2016
The Yale Food Systems Symposium (YFSS) is a student-led, interdisciplinary conference initiated by students at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. This year, we also welcome the enthusiastic support of students from Yale Divinity School and Yale School of Management.
The conference has emerged from a school that prioritizes both research and non-academic professional development. The aim of the YFSS is to provide a space where researchers, practitioners, theorists, and eaters can come together to work towards the creation of a just, sustainable food system. An effort by students, for students (in a broad sense of the word), the YFSS privileges new ideas that push the conventional boundaries of food systems thinking. As such, it seeks to highlight emerging researchers, innovative projects, truly interdisciplinary thinking, and non-traditional collaboration.
The 2016 Yale Food Systems Symposium will bring diverse scholars and practitioners to work together in action-oriented sessions that address the complex ecological and socio-economic dynamics of feeding a growing world.
YFSS 2016 Co-Chairs:
Andrew Beck, MEM ’18, MBA ‘18
Rebecca Gildiner, MEM ‘17
Brianna Lloyd, MDiv ‘17
Daniel Moccia-Field, MEM ‘18
Britain Richardson, MEM ‘17
Sarah Sax, MEM ‘17
Abigail Smith, MEM ‘18
Hannah Walchak, MEM ‘17
Highlighting areas to further increase the inherent potential of our crops and pastures. The idea of Limiting Factors in soil tests to cultural practices that negatively impact Genetic Potential. Understanding the importance of Inoculation, mineral balancing, mulching, and maintaining hydration. Introducing tools for in-field monitoring, and techniques of nutritional drenches and foliar sprays. Discuss what is proper tillage, soil biology, and the importance of cover crops. The concepts of what weeds tell us, plant visual diagnosis, and Epigenetics, making the connection between soil health, plant health, animal health, and human health. The importance that life is a system and the framework to help support this system to achieve improving yields, flavor, aroma, shelf-life, increasing pest and disease resistance, and better tolerance of extreme weather conditions.