WINCHESTER will be the only university attending next month’s Extinction or Regeneration Conference in London.

The university, among other organisations, will be supporting the conference where experts from across the world will address the problem of how we feed the world without destroying it.

Event organisers Compassion in World Farming have pinned food production as the primary cause of biodiversity loss and greenhouse gas emissions.

Included in the line-up of speakers are two University of Winchester professors Philip Lymbery, global chief executive officer of Compassion in World Farming and Dr Shireen Kassam who developed the UK's first university-based course on plant-based nutrition.

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Philip, a UN food systems champion, is an expert on the global effects of industrial farming on animal welfare, wildlife, soil and other natural resources.

He said: “In the face of the growing climate, wildlife and health emergencies, we’re running out of time to fix our broken global food system. But there is hope. The Extinction or Regeneration conference will gather some of the world’s most respected experts and thinkers to share solutions and help develop a policy roadmap that steers us away from extinction and towards regeneration, for the benefit of animals, people and our planet.

“Whether eminent scientist, ‘rock star of social justice’ or UN representatives, all our world-class speakers share a common drive – to showcase workable solutions and map a clear path towards a better future for us all.”

Dr Kassam is passionate about promoting plant-based nutrition for health benefits such as preventing chronic disease and for maintaining health post-cancer treatment.

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Her first book, Eating Plant-Based, Scientific Answers to Your Nutrition Questions, co-authored with her sister Zahra, was published last year along with a co-edited textbook aimed at healthcare professionals called Plant-Based Nutrition in Clinical Practice.

Shireen said: “It’s completely possible for people of all ages to be healthy on a plant-based diet. 

“Only 28 per cent of adults eat five or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day and only 18 per cent of children under 16.

 “Not only would we be healthier if we ate a more plant-based diet, we would spend about a third less on food shopping. It’s a win-win on every front.”

Extinction or Regeneration is a hybrid event, taking place at the QEII Conference Centre on May 11 and 12. To register to see talks online or for more information go to extinctionconference.com.