Food, Health, and Agriculture in South Asia: Contemporary Issues and Future Directions
Date: March 29-30, 2012
Location: 220 Eggers Hall (Public Events Room), Syracuse University
Conference Organizers:
Dr. Timothy De Ver Dye, Professor and Associate Dean, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, Syracuse University
Dr. Sudha Raj, Instructor, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, Syracuse University
Dr. Saurabh Mehta, Assistant Professor, College of Human Ecology, Cornell University
Co-sponsors: Department of Public Health, Food Studies and Nutrition, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, Syracuse University; South Asia Program, Cornell University
Conference Description and Objectives
Historically, South Asia provides one of the world’s most vibrant, unique, and diverse indigenous cuisines well-adapted and suitable to sustain its population. In contemporary times and in globalized context, the food system of South Asia is changing rapidly, with concomitant health effects, while the indigenous foods of South Asia spread well beyond the diaspora.
The purpose of this conference is to create an open, creative environment for academic researchers and applied practitioners (in the social and biological sciences) working on topics related to health, food studies and agriculture in South Asia to share insights and experiences across disciplines to stimulate new collaborative ideas for research and practice. The conference incorporates traditional elements (didactic sharing) with innovative experiences involving South Asian food and creative networking strategies to stimulate new thinking.
Registration
The conference is free and open to the public. However, we kindly request that you register so that we have an idea of the number of people attending. Please fill out our electronic registration form here.
Schedule
Thursday, March 29
7:00-9:00 Film Screening of "Still, The Children are Here" (Mira Nair, 2004), moderated by Tula
Goenka, Associate Professor of Radio, TV and Film
032 Eggers Hall
Friday, March 30
8:00-9:00 Continental Breakfast
220 Eggers Hall
9:00-10:30 Opening Plenary Session, 220 Eggers Hall
Moderator: Sudha Raj
9:00-9:10 Welcome by Cecilia Van Hollen, Director of the South Asia Center
9:15-9:45 Keynote Speaker, Professor Krishnendu Ray (New York University), "Cuisines
between Nations: An Argument on the Limits of National Cultures"
9:45-9:55 Discussant, Donna Bacchi MD MPH (SUNY Upstate)
9:55-10:05 Discussant, Dennis Miller (Cornell University)
10:05-10:30 Discussion
10:30-11:00 Break
11:00-12:00 Food and Health: Contemporary Experiences in and Influences of South Asia
220 Eggers Hall
Moderator: Tim Dye
11:00-11:15 Harris Solomon (Duke), "Street Cleaning: Food Politics, Hygiene, and Public
Viability in Mumbai"
11:15-11:30 Chandani Liyanage (University of Colombo; Fulbright Fellow, SU), "Health
Implications of Agricultural Modernization and Changing Food Consumption
Patterns in Sri Lanka"
11:30-11:45 Amy Nichols (Cornell), "Econutrition Strategy to Improve Food Security in Rural
India "
11:45-12:00 Discussion
12:00-1:30 Lunch (must be registered to attend lunch)
204 Maxwell Hall
1:30-2:30 Food Systems and Agriculture in South Asia, 220 Eggers Hall
Moderator: S.P. Raj
1:30-1:45 Devparna Roy (Cornell), "Reclaiming Developmentalism? State, Civil Society and
Firms in GM Crop Debates in Democratic India"
1:45-2:00 Clarence Maloney, "Water Resources and Food Security in Afghanistan"
2:15-2:30 Discussion
2:30-3:30 Health, Medicines, and Food in South Asia, 220 Eggers Hall
Moderator: Sudha Raj
2:30-2:45 Monica Sathyamurthy (SU), "A Comparison of Traditional Beliefs, Practices, and
Health Seeking Behaviors that Influence Dietary Practices During Pregnancy
of South Asian Women in India and the United States"
2:45-3:00 Karen McNamara (SU), "I Can't Eat: Health, Food and Work of Bangladeshi
Garment Workers"
3:00-3:15 Jaapna Dhillon (SU), "Dietary Habits and Practices of South Asian Female Students
in the United States"
3:15-3:30 Discussion
3:30-4:00 Break
4:00-5:00 Closing Plenary, 220 Eggers Hall
Moderator: Saurabh Mehta
Keynote Speaker: Rema Nagarajan (Global Health Reporting Nieman-Pulitzer Center
Fellow, Harvard University), "Public and Policy Debates around Health and
Nutrition in a Transitioning Economy"
Deadlines
Call for Papers Deadline January 31, 2012
Registration Deadline March 15, 2012