Food Security Symposium 2025
University of New England/Macquarie University, Joint Symposium and Workshop 2025
Food Security in Turbulent Times: Critical Perspectives from the Asia-Pacific Region and Beyond
The University of New England School of Law and the Macquarie University Environmental Law Research Centre are pleased to invite you to the 2025 Symposium, “Food Security in Turbulent Times: Critical Perspectives from the Asia-Pacific Region and Beyond”. The event will be held in person and online.
Global food security is under severe threat. Asia and the Pacific, home to over half the world's population, saw 370.7 million people go hungry in 2022, especially in Southern Asia, which accounts for 85% of the region's undernourished, with women disproportionately affected. The crisis is exacerbated by extreme weather events, water scarcity impacting 40% of agricultural land, geopolitical tensions, pandemics, and supply chain disruptions, all of which drive up food prices and destabilise food systems. The corporatisation of agriculture and rapid urbanisation further undermine traditional farming and local food sovereignty, particularly harming small-scale farmers and Indigenous communities. Addressing these complex challenges requires urgent, innovative, and culturally responsive solutions.
This symposium and workshop will feature scholars from across the region to discuss five key themes on food security:
- Indigenous Knowledges Harnessing Food Security
- Trade, Tariffs and Food Security
- Food Security and the Business of Food
- Critical Approaches to Food Security
- Food, Catastrophe, and Conflict
The workshop will conclude with a public lecture by the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to development, Professor Surya Deva, who will highlight why a fundamental shift is required in the current international economic order and development models to ensure food security.
Please refer to the Kirby Seminar page for more information on Professor Surya Deva's lecture.
Dates and venue
- 10 October 2025, UNE Sydney, Parramatta Campus, 28 George St, Parramatta NSW 2150, 8:30 am (for 9:00 am start) to 6:00 pm.
- Parking - Eat Street Car Park (pay to park)
Registration (Free)
- Please notify us of any dietary requirements.
For enquiries, contact Guy Charlton, gcharlt3@une.edu.au, Xiang Gao, xgao5@une.edu.au or Francesca Dominello, francesca.dominello@mq.edu.au.
Presenters will have an opportunity to submit papers to a special issue of the International Journal of Regional, Rural & Remote Law & Policy (IJRRRLP).
