UK Champion for global food security, Professor Tim Benton, will be asking how we can feed the world in the future, at a thought-provoking lecture in Southwell Minster on 13th March, jointly hosted by the Cathedral and Nottingham Trent University’s School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences.
Nearly two billion hungry or malnourished people, recurrent food price spikes and socio-political unrest, climate change, degradation and scarcity of natural resources – coupled with a decline in rural communities and livelihoods – have placed food security high on the development agenda.
Professor Benton will outline the challenges for food security (providing enough food for all) and the difficulties of doing it on less land, with less water and with climate change being a really potent force. He will discuss that sustainable production is needed to protect future generations and that this is itself a challenge and will end with discussion that for the most part the solution is for us to change our eating habits and demand less and waste less.
Says Tim: “We all need food, but demand for food is beginning to outstrip our ability to supply it, and this may continue getting worse as climate change increasingly bites. At the same time, more people around the world are suffering ill-health from over-consumption than ill-health from under-consumption. Compared to other sectors, globally, food uses more land and water, creates more climate change, and damages the environment more. What is the future of food, who will win and who will lose, and can we make it more benign?”
The Dean of Nottingham Trent University’s School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Professor Eunice Simmons, says she is delighted to be hosting this talk jointly with the Minster, as food security and supply are critical issues in which we should all take an interest: “Education and research in this area is vital and the School has been increasing its work in both food and agriculture over the last three years – to some extent returning to Brackenhurst’s founding principles. We very much look forward to Professor Benton’s talk and also to hearing from his audience on this topic – and if you want to see our progress for yourselves, you are most welcome to Open Farm Sunday at Brackenhurst on June 8, 2014”
‘Feeding the world in the future: Can we do it?’ starts at 7pm for 7.30pm. The lecture is open to all and admission is free.