Dr. Evan Fraser, director of the Arrell Food Institute and professor of geography at the University of Guelph, has been appointed to the steering committee of the High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE-FSN) of the United Nations Committee on World Food Security (CFS).
The HLPE-FSN is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to global food security and nutrition and provides independent and evidence-based analysis and advice at the request of the CFS.
The panel is governed by a steering committee of 15 world-renowned scientists drawn from academia, research institutions, the public and private sector, civil society and other constituencies.
“I am honoured and thrilled to have been appointed to the HLPE-FSN of the UN Committee on World Food Security,” Fraser said. “At this moment of great turbulence in food systems, I am delighted to be working at the highest level internationally to help create more resilient, equitable and sustainable food systems.”
Since 2017, Fraser has served as director of the Arrell Food Institute (AFI), which was established through a generous donation from the Arrell Family Foundation. He has become one of Canada’s most cited social scientists researching food and sustainability and has been a frequent media and editorial contributor. He has also co-authored several books on food security topics.
“This is a tremendous honour for Dr. Evan Fraser and a testament to his significant contribution to food security and nutrition globally. I am very happy to see his commitment to research and innovation recognized through this appointment,” said Dr. Charlotte Yates, U of G president and vice-chancellor.
“U of G’s Arrell Food Institute has a long history of global impact by helping to feed the world’s growing population in sustainable ways.”
Solving global food security and nutrition challenges
AFI seeks to improve global food systems by bringing together agricultural expertise, the latest technology and environmental science research and community engagement to find healthy and sustainable ways to feed a growing world population.
Fraser also helps lead the Food from Thought initiative, a research program based at U of G that explores how to use big data to reduce agriculture’s environmental footprint.
The Canada Research Chair in Global Food Security between 2010-2020, Fraser is also an alumni member of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, a fellow of the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation and a fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.
Nomination to the HLPE-FSN steering committee is typically made by governments, institutions or organizations of the nominees.
“I am delighted to see Canada represented by Dr. Evan Fraser at the HLPE-FSN of the Committee on World Food Security,” said Guelph minister of Parliament Lloyd Longfield. “Dr. Fraser’s work as founding director of the Arrell Food Institute has contributed to our understanding of food systems, which will be a valuable asset to solving global food security and nutrition challenges.”
The HLPE-FSN Steering Committee members participate in their individual capacities and not as representatives of any institution. Membership to the steering committee is renewed every two years through an open nomination process based on scientific excellence.
The Committee’s first meeting will be in November in Rome, Italy.
Contact:
Dr. Evan Fraser
frasere@uoguelph.ca