Closing Session
October 3, 2012; 4:15 - 6:00 p.m.
The Changing Meaning of "Food Security"
Speaker: Alan Bjerga
Author, "Endless Appetites: How the Commodities Casino Creates Hunger and Unrest," and agriculture policy reporter, Bloomberg News
With the U.S. experiencing its worst drought in a quarter-century, Russia again struggling to raise wheat, and global food prices rising again, "food security" is once again in the headlines. But the meaning of the phrase is shifting, not simply to include availability and affordability of food, but nutrition and safety as well. Alan Bjerga, author of "Endless Appetites: How the Commodities Casino Creates Hunger and Unrest," explores how the global marketplace is affecting food security, and how with effective research and economic incentives, some of the world's most poverty-stricken regions can better meet their own nutritional needs.
Bio: Alan Bjerga is the author of the book "Endless Appetites: How the Commodities Casino Creates Hunger and Unrest." He covers agricultural policy for Bloomberg News and is a past president of the National Press Club and the North American Agricultural Journalists. In 2012 he joined the faculty of Georgetown University as an adjunct instructor. He has been recognized for his work on hunger and agriculture by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, the New York Press Club, the Kansas Press Association, the North American Agricultural Journalists, and the Overseas Press Club for this work.
Bjerga grew up on a farm near the town of Motley, Minnesota. The graduate of Concordia College (Moorhead, Minn.) and the University of Minnesota, Bjerga began his career with the St. Paul Pioneer Press (MN) and also reported for the Sioux Falls (SD) Argus Leader and The Wichita Eagle (KS).
Along with his frequent appearances on Bloomberg Television, he has also been a contestant on "Jeopardy!" and "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." He has also competed for the standup comedy title of "DC's Funniest Journalist."
