The primary topic is about food sources and having enough food in the future to feed the world’s population. Due to current population growth, it is estimated that around 70 percent more food will be needed to feed the predicted global population of 2063. The risks to achieving this are limited land availability, the effects of climate change and water and energy poverty.
The journal Food and Nutrition Security argues that to achieve necessary food quantities, an investment in new technology is crucial. This must be accompanied by good governance, focusing on primary crop, horticultural, livestock and aquaculture producers. This will need to be co-ordinated by a global body, such as the United Nations, rather than member states if it is to succeed.
The special issue of the journal is headed “Food and Nutrition Security: Can science and good governance deliver dinner?” and the policy ideas take the form of 15 articles. Topics covered include health (fatty acids); the underutilization of wild vegetables; the need to track down lesser known fruits and vegetables; genetic modification of food; and environmental impact.
In related food news, the charity The Wellcome Trust is launching a new initiative to encourage people to think more about the food and drink they consume. The charity is keen to review how our relationship with food is changing; how it affects our health and the world around us.
Commenting on the program, Director of Culture and Society at the Wellcome Trust, Simon Chaplin, stated on the Wellcome website: “One of Wellcome’s key priorities is to build understanding of how global food systems and urbanisation connect to health. An essential part of that is to understand what those connections mean for people in their day-to-day lives. Through The Crunch, we will empower people to learn more and encourage conversation about the links between our food, our health and our planet.”
The initiative will be run through schools and colleges, with an emphasis on experiments and interactive discussion.
