Nanotechnology, a group of techniques for manufacturing and manipulating sub-molecular sized materials, is being applied to agriculture, food processing and food packaging. This webinar will discuss the effect of nanomaterials on soil health and the food chain.
IATP's Dr. Steve Suppan, author of "Nanomaterials In Soil: Our Future Food Chain?," and Jaydee Hanson, Senior Policy Analyst at the Center for Food Safety will lead the webinar. Jaydee Hanson will speak on nanoparticles in food and food packaging, and Steve Suppan will cover nanofertilizers and soil health.
We experienced audio difficulties during the introduction, the following is the text version:
Welcome to the webinar Agricultural Nanotechnology and the Future of Food.
My name is Ben Lilliston. I'm the Vice President of Program at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. IATP works locally and globally to ensure fair and sustainable food, farm and trade systems.
We are living in a time of technological innovation. Nanotechnology, the science of manipulating material at the molecular scale, is a technological development that is moving fast into commercialization in many sectors. But is our regulatory system equipped to regulate nanotechnology? How is this technology being applied to our agriculture and food system? And what are the risks to consumers, farmers, workers and the environment?
Today, we'll hear from two experts on nanotechnology and the food system.
Jaydee Hansen is a Senior Policy Analyst at the Center for Food Safety who works on nanotechnology, cloning and animal genetic engineering. He is the U.S. co-chair for the Nanotechnology Task Force of the Transatlantic Consumers Dialogue. Dr. Steve Suppan is a Senior Policy Analyst at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. He has reported extensively on the nexus of agriculture, trade and food safety. His most recent report is: NanoMaterials in Soil: Our Future Food Chain?
I want to give the speakers the opportunity to go through their presentations before we get to questions. But you can pose questions at any time, and I'll keep track, and put them forward at the end of the presentations.
OK, let's get started with Jaydee Hansen.
