Serageldin was invited to be this year’s speaker at the 2nd Annual Malthus Lecture. This is a lecture series organized once a year by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the U.S. Population Reference Bureau. The name of the series refers to the English scholar Reverend Thomas Robert Malthus, known for his theory published in the early 19th century that sooner or later population gets checked by famine and disease, a theory which has ever since created a debate on whether the earth’s resources can sustainably feed the ever growing global population.
Serageldin tackled this debate in a remarkable lecture entitled “Feeding the World Sustainably: Reflections, Issues, and Suggestions”, where he recognizes that “ensuring global food security is a major challenge,” but asserts that “it is not beyond the ken of human ingenuity and determination”. The presentation was one of the most attended events at IFPRI, with a large group of people also watching online. His fresh and useful insights inspired the audience.
The video is available via the following link: http://www.ifpri.org/event/2nd-annual-malthus-lecture .
As one of 15 centers supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), IFPRI seeks sustainable solutions for ending hunger and poverty. They plan to hold a conference at the Library later this year in collaboration with the BA.