Bristol professor joins international experts to discuss crop diseases that threaten global food security

A Bristol scientist has been invited to present at a prestigious international event discussing global food security in Boston.

Gary Foster, Professor of Molecular Plant Pathology, from the University’s School of Biological Sciences will address the American Phytopathological Society and the International Society for Plant Pathology Task Force on Global Food Security, as part of the 2018 International Congress of Plant Pathology, on Tuesday 31 July.

He will be speaking and joining a group of international experts at a special public meeting at the Harvard Museum of Science, Boston USA, to discuss Crop Diseases That Threaten Global Food Security.

Professor Foster said: “Coffee, oranges, bananas, and potatoes are among the most widely-consumed breakfast foods in many countries including the United States.

“What if these morning staples were to become scarce or unavailable? In this panel discussion, specialists in plant pathology and agriculture will discuss the emerging diseases that pose serious threats to these and other crops, and to the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people involved in their cultivation.

“The panellists will highlight approaches to understanding the evolution of plant pathogens, tracking how they spread around the globe, and developing strategies to combat plant diseases that are threatening global food production.”

Professor Foster will be presenting a talk and discussion on “Potato Killer: People Killer: A Personal Perspective” as his birth place in Lurgan in Northern Ireland was devastated by the disease that caused the potato famine in Ireland 1845-1849.  With the disease caused by Phytophthora infestans, still causing major problems worldwide today.