Ethiopian native Gebisa Ejeta will speak Thursday as this fall's York Distinguished Lecturer at 7 p.m. at The Hotel and Dixon Conference Center at Auburn University.
"In his speech 'Meeting Global Food Demands: Research and Education Needs,' Ejeta will be discussing what needs to be done to prepare ourselves for a world that will grow from having 7 billion people to 9 billion people," said Paul Patterson, associate dean of instruction in the College of Agriculture and chair of the E.T. York Distinguished Lecturer Series Committee.
Patterson said this series is made possible by funds from E.T. York, who has donated more than $1 million dollars to Auburn in his effort to improve agricultural resources in developing countries.
"Each lecturer is required to deliver one public address and to also have some opportunities to interact with the students," Patterson said.
In addition to his speech, Ejeta will host a seminar for graduate students and faculty in the Department of Agronomy and Soils and visit an agronomy and nutrition class, Patterson said.
"We chose Dr. Ejeta as this fall's distinguished speaker because he was a 2009 World Food Prize recipient and because of his well-known and highly recognized professional work with sorghum in Africa," Patterson said.
David Weaver, professor in the Department of Agronomy and Soils, said Ejeta will talk about what humanity must do to feed a rapidly growing population and about methods for producing more food with fewer resources.
"The entire College of Agriculture is determined to find better ways to produce food and fiber in an environment-friendly manner," Weaver said. "This is the kind of work Dr. Ejeta is recognized for."
Gobena Huluka, associate professor in the Department of Agronomy and Soils and director of the Soil Testing Lab, said students will have a lot to gain from the lecture.
"Our whole world is connected," Huluka said. "A food crisis in Africa will affect us here in Alabama. We have to look at food sustainability, food production and food distribution systems with a global perspective, and that's what Gebisa will be discussing."
Patterson said Ejeta will also discuss the depletion of resources across the world and what action needs to be taken to preserve what is left.
"We here at the College of Agriculture focus on these issues and feel it is important to educate the University community--not just those within our college and departments--on what must be done to increase food production in an Earth-friendly way," Patterson said. "Dr. Ejeta will do a great job of aiding this cause.
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