Book now for a great line up speakers at the Town Hall Skibbereen on Saturday 8th September as part of the TOWC Food Festival.  Details in the TOWC programme, at Eventbrite and below  in the article in the SS.

Tickets here

DESCRIPTION

This forum is being organised by nutritional therapist Majella O’Neill and organic farmer and seed saver Madeline McKeever. As a result of their research they are committed to highlighting the vital connection between how we grow and produce our food and our health and well-being. Chronic diseases such as obesity, infertility, diabetes and mental illnesses, have increased in recent years. At the same time soil quality, animal health, and wildlife biodiversity are in decline. Research from the APC Microbiome UCC and others are pointing to the link between microbes and soil, plant, animal and human health. There is growing evidence that these are damaged by chemicals used in modern farming. To elucidate these issues, and to highlight them, they has brought together this international panel of experts. They hope the final discussion will find ways forward for West Cork Farmers to grow food that will truly nourish people. This forum is for farmers, health professionals and all who have an interest in food, health and wellbeing.

Speakers:-

– Professor Giles Eric Séralini, Professor of molecular biology at the University of Caen,

Researcher, teacher, Author of books on environmental pollution, GMOs, and detoxication (8 books and more than 100scientific papers or publications). -.He was expert for the French government and the European commission on GMOs, president. President of the scientific council for independent research on genetic engineering (1999-2016)(www.criigen.org).

– Jérôme DOUZELET , Chef

Co-author with Gilles-Eric Séralini of two books « Cooked pleasures or hidden poisons, », translated in English under the title “The Great Health Scam” , and “Le goût des pesticides dans le vin” “The taste of pesticides in wines” published also as a research paper (see www.seralini.fr). He is the first expert in tasting and discovering the differential tastes of synthetic pesticides in water at levels present in wines. He cooks essentially natural, fresh,organic and esthetic meals of high quality. The quality of his products is highly controlled as well as their origin, and is commited to avoiding GMOs and pesticides in the food he serves .

– Ib Pedersen

Danish Pig Farmer and Researcher who carried out studies on his farm to limit incidence of disease and fertility issues in his stock by removing GM soya from the feed. As a result of his finding the Danish Department of Agriculture have commissioned studies through Aarhus University,

– Darina Allen… Chef

Owner of Ballymaloe cookery school, columnist, author and TV presenter. A tireless ambassador for Irish food and farmer’s markets. She holds many positions in food organisations such as the East Cork Slow Food convivium, the Taste Council of Bord Bia, the Artisan Food Forum of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. and a patron of Irish Seed Savers. Member of Euro-Toques (European Association of Chefs) and Guild of Foodwriters.

– Dr Fiona Crispie

Researcher with Dr Paul Cotter, Teagasc Food Research Centre Moorepark. Her research interests include the microbiology of food and the human/animal gut and its role in health and disease in humans and animals. She has a PHD in molecular biology

From the Southern Star 

WORLD experts will outline the established link between our health and what we eat, as part of next month’s A Taste of West Cork Food Festival.  A day-long forum called ‘Our Farms, Our Food, Our Future’ takes place in the Town Hall, Skibbereen on Saturday September 8th from 10.30am to 6.30pm.

Nutritional therapist Majella O’Neill and organic farmer Madeline McKeever are organising the forum which will be of interest to farmers, food producers, chefs, health professionals and anyone interested in exploring food and health. Majella and Madeline are committed to highlighting the vital connection between food choices, how we grow and produce food and our health and well-being.

Majella said: ‘We hope this discussion will find ways forward for Irish farmers and food producers to lead the way on the world stage toward a more sustainable health promoting model of food production that will truly nourish us into the future.’

She added: ‘Here in Ireland we have a culture of relatively small diverse holdings and a growing lucrative artisan food industry incorporating many health promoting principals. Ireland’s farming and food industry is perfectly poised to lead the way on the world food stage, and capiatalise on a growing consumer sentiment by embracing food production standards  that give real, dependable assurances to consumers as to the quality and health benefits of our food products.’

Speakers include Professor Giles Eric Seralini Seralini, professor of molecular Biology, Caen University, France and author and researcher on effects of pesticide and GMO; Dr Fiona Crispie, technologist, Teagasc and Dr Laura Boyle, animal scientist with Teagasc.

Jérome Douzelet, hotel and restaurant owner in the South of France, who cooks organic meals and knows how to detoxify chemicals in food through particular culinary methods and use of detoxifying ingredients will also address the forum along with tireless campaigner Darina Allen, chef and co-owner of Ballymaloe Cookery School.

Ib Pedersen, a pig farmer who discovered when he stopped feeding genetically modified soya to his pigs that there were immediate improvements in their health and fertility, and who is now working with the Danish Department of Agriculture to combat the use of pesticides in food crops, completes the impressive line-up.

• Tickets for the event cost €25  and are available from eventbrite.ie