International Symposium on Horticulture in Developing Countries and World Food Production

The International Symposium on "Horticulture in Developing Countries and World Food Production" will be held in Brisbane, Australia in 2014 as part of the International Horticultural Congress (IHC2014). The three-day symposium will include three invited speakers, sessions of oral presentations and a poster session. There will be a linked workshop focusing on the experiences of PARDI - ACIAR's Pacific Agribusiness Research-for-Development Initiative. The sponsor of this symposium (ACIAR), supports research in support of agricultural development in numerous countries across Africa, Asia and the Pacific. Partners in these projects are actively encouraged to participate in the symposium and report on their findings, and there will be a particular focus on ACIAR-funded projects with several sessions targeting this area. Participants from ACIAR-funded programs are especially invited to submit abstracts. Horticulture has traditionally provided food security and a way of life for millions of smallholders in developing countries. Resource-poor communities are increasingly using their skills in horticulture as a means to increase cash incomes and more broadly to improve their livelihoods by supplying fruits and vegetables, fresh or processed, to high-value local, urban and international markets. The international research-and-development community has also identified supporting this process as a promising entry point for efforts to improve the livelihoods of resource-poor people. The world抯 population is projected to increase by 1 billion people by 2025 to reach 8 billion. In addition to the challenge of feeding a growing population, poor lifestyles and diets now sees the number of overweight adults (>1.4 billion) exceeding the number suffering from hunger (<1 billion), with the total number experiencing some form of malnutrition estimated to be over 3 billion. While the historical approach to alleviate hunger has been to foster increased production and supply of a small number of staple crop species to regions in need, the rise in non-communicable diseases and malnutrition in these regions, and in the developed regions of the world, has seen a growing recognition of the importance of including a diverse range of nutritious horticultural produce as a component of a healthy diet. The rising demand for horticultural produce creates opportunities for income generating activities for small-scale farmers and entrepreneurs in rural and peri-urban and urban settings. Horticultural production not only improves food and nutrition security, but also provides livelihoods to producers and all parties involved in the associated value chains, contributing towards economic growth and development. Scientists working with developing countries, or on projects related to the broader topic of world food production are invited to submit abstracts for either oral or posters sessions, and lets together make this an essential symposium for workers in this vital area of horticulture.