Food Security 14 November 2011 Chair: Professor Tim Jones Panel: Professor Elizabeth Dowler Dr Rosemary Collier Dr Ben Richardson Professor Laura Green

Global Priorities Programme Responding through research to global challenges Showcasing research excellence in key areas Developing capacity to demonstrate the impacts of this research and engage key stakeholders Forum for supporting and enhancing multidisciplinary and cross- departmental research Generating research income through interdisciplinary research that addresses major global issues

Professor Liz Dowler Sociology

the good news ….  more people fed  food relatively cheap  food is safe, widely available, healthy (?) BUT  harsh terms of trade for suppliers  much production lost – or to animal feed  labour law missing or ignored  still 1 billion hungry, malnourished, obese  rising ill-health from food  environment, biodiversity, skills all 

food security ‘a situation that exists when all people at all times have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life ….’ UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)

global demand for food x2 next yrs agriculture needs to keep pace  food/ livelihoods/ economic growth  food safety, public health and sustainability - environmental and social problems for production, processing, consuming..  loss of biodiversity, arable land, labour  water conflicts, pollution  land policy conflicts  climate change  rising prices  changing tastes?

food security? production power perceptions prices images:

‘Business as usual is not an option’ IAASTD 2008 Move to a more agro- ecological farming approach from an industrial, fossil fuel based model

how to enable the poorest – or not so very poor – to eat fairly, sustainably and well? state responsibilities? social justice, rights to food? how can people reconnect with food and each other?

Dr Rosemary Collier School of Life Sciences

Food production as an ecosystem service

Concept of ecosystem goods and services ‘Benefits people obtain from ecosystems’

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment - Ecosystem Goods and Services Delivery of one ecosystem service usually requires ‘support’ from others Use of land/ecosystems to increase provision of one service can reduce provision of other services Biodiversity is key to delivery of many services

Food production Provisioning service Can have negative impacts on delivery of other services because of: – Reduction in biodiversity – impact on range of ecosystem services, including some that are important to food production itself (e.g. pollination) – ‘Pollution’ – impact on climate regulation, water quality and other services – Demands on resources e.g. water

General recognition that need to improve delivery of other ecosystem services – whilst increasing food production Initiatives in UK and globally At what spatial scale(s) should we consider delivery of ecosystem services, including food production? Field? Landscape? National? European? Global? ‘Sustainable intensification’ CAP reform

Dr Ben Richardson Politics and International Studies

Social Justice in the Sugarcane Industry A study into the global expansion of sugarcane production and how this affects the rural poor

Are rising prices for agricultural commodities good or bad for the world’s poor?

Is the use of crops for biofuel a waste of food or a way to boost agriculture and provide green energy?

Is a job as a farmer or worker in the sugarcane industry better than nothing for the rural poor?

Professor Laura Green School of Life Sciences

1.4 billion people Income less than $2 per day – need meat / animal products Many can eat ‘grass’ and scraps

Income increases meat eating increases Meat kg per person, per year

Animals in developed countries Huge demands on production e.g. dairy cow now produce 10,000 litres milk p.a. dairy cow 1980s produced 5,000 Many animals (pigs, poultry, cows, sheep) fed cereals / fish meal Could be for human food or biofuels Proposal ‘sustainable intensification’ What about animal welfare?

The cost of endemic diseases

Over to You …