Many faculty members in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems extend the scope of their leading edge research to work with global communities and international organizations, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region:
- UBC’s Faculty of Land and Food Systems (LFS) is an Associate Member of the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education and Natural Resources, headquartered at the University of the Philippines, Los Banõs.
- In Fall 2012, UBC will launch the International Nutrition Major as part of the Bachelor of Science in the Food, Nutrition and Health program. Placements on international food security and nutrition projects are available to all students in the Major and are a required component of the program. Currently, students are working on the CIDA-funded food security project in Cambodia.
- A group of 30 students from the Faculty of Science at Hong Kong University recently completed a two-week course in sustainable agriculture, hosted by the UBC Farm
- With a goal of facilitating cross-cultural dialogue on food and environmental issues, GRS student staff members at the farm have been participants at the annual International Students Summit on Food, Agriculture and Environment in the New Century in Tokyo, Japan. The Summit has presented a valuable venue for student staff members to exchange ideas about land security and agricultural education based on their own experiences at the UBC Farm.
- The faculty also participates in the Korea University/UBC Joint Academic Plan.
Academic & Research Projects
- Bachelor of Science in Global Resource Systems: As part of this program students study science in the context of a region of the world, gaining an understanding of agricultural and natural resource systems from an international and interdisciplinary perspective. Students take on research projects and placements in a chosen region, such as alumnus Greg Rekken, who worked on a food security project in Indonesia, and as a Farm Manager in Thailand.
- Tim Green: Malaysia, China, Vietnam, Indonesia
Tim has extensive international research experience as he has designed and implemented large population studies evaluating micronutrient status, particularly folate and vitamin D, in women of reproductive age in several countries. He has ongoing work in Malaysia and is also working on evaluating vitamin A and iron status among women and children in Cambodia in a controlled intervention study with Dr. Judy McLean. - Murray Isman: South East Asia
Collaborating with university and industrial partners, Dr. Isman has investigated the development of botanical insecticides derived from the neem tree (Azadirachta indica), from medicinal plants and timber species of southeast Asia and Central America, and from tall oil, a by-product of the pulp and paper industry. - Judy Mclean: Cambodia, Vietnam
Judy is working on multiple international projects with the WHO, governments and NGOs on the assessment of food insecurity and malnutrition, and the development and implementation of cost-effective, evidence based means of addressing malnutrition among young children and reproductive-age women, and improving pregnancy outcomes. Judy and Tim also act as consultants to the WHO on the development of nutrition education programs and program monitoring and evaluation. - The Fish on Farms Project (jointly conducted with Helen Keller International) is studying how an integrated Homestead Food Production system will impact poverty, food security, and nutrition, particularly among women and children in rural Cambodia.
How to Get Involved
For information on Global Resource Systems/Global Partnerships, please contact Roxana Quinde (roxana.quinde@ubc.ca)
To collaborate with the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm, please contact Amy Frye (amy.frye@ubc.ca)
For general faculty inquiries, please email lfs.dean@ubc.ca or visit our website http://www.landfood.ubc.ca
