World Food Day Official North America event: Water is Life. Water is food. Leave No one behind.

The FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations North America together with Food Tank, Driscoll’s, the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University present in collaboration with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the University of Guelph and the Forum for Farmers and Food Security:

“World Food Day 2023: Water is Life. Water is Food. Leave no one behind.

The event is hybrid and can be attended in person at SFU Wosk Centre for Dialogue in Vancouver, Canada

or via livestream. You can register to attend the event virtually here.

Our goal is to highlight stories of hope and success in relation to the theme: “Water is life, water is food. Leave no one behind.”

Water is essential to life on Earth. It covers the majority of the Earth's surface, makes up over 50% of our bodies, produces our food, and supports livelihoods. But this precious resource is not infinite and we need to stop taking it for granted. What we eat, and how that food is produced all affect water.

Together, we can take water action for food and be the change.

Confirmed Speakers include (In order of appearance):

• Dean Rickey Yada, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, The University of British Columbia
• Tom Pesek, Senior Liaison Officer, FAO in North America
• Danielle Nierenberg, President, Food Tank
• Claire Dawson, Senior Manager, Fisheries and Seafood Initiative, Ocean Wise
• Mark Smith, President and CEO, Pacific Seaweed Industry Association
• Paul Lansbergen, President, Fisheries Council of Canada
• Rashid Sumaila, Professor, University of British Columbia
• Dana-Lyn Mackenzie (Hwlitsum First Nation), Senior Manager, EDI & Indigeneity and Board Member, RESEAU Centre for Mobilizing Innovation; Severn Cullis-Suzuki (DSF)
• Dana McCauley, CEO, Canadian Food Innovation Network
• Jyoti Stephens, Vice President, Nature's Path
• Zafar Adeel, Executive Director, Pacific Water Research Centre, Simon Fraser University
• Sean Smukler, Director, The Centre for Sustainable Food Systems, University of British Columbia
• Tammara Soma, Research Director and Co-Founder, Food Systems Lab, Simon Fraser University
• Jennifer Silver, Professor and Associate Chair, Geography, Environment and Geomatics, University of Guelph
• Tannis Thorlakson, Global Sustainability Director, Driscoll's
• Heather Wilkie, EVP Business Transformation, Compass Group
• Steph Baryluk (Teetl'it Gwich'in), Chef, Rooted Program, Simon Fraser University and Owner, Mrs B’s Jerky
• Asha Wheeldon, Founder and CEO, Kula Foods
• Royce Chwin, President and CEO, Destination Vancouver
• Alexandra Gill, Food Writer, The Globe and Mail
• Tiare Boyes, Fish Harvester
• Connor Williamson, Farmer, Member of the Canadian Food Policy Advisory Council, and Manager of Labour Initiatives for BC's Ministry of Agriculture and Food
• Elizabeth McSheffrey, Journalist, Global News
• Mark Kaplan, Wholechain.
• Naomi Krogman, Dean, Faculty of Environment SFU