Achieving sustainable food security in a world with a growing population with changing diets and a changing climate is a major challenge. With about 1 billion people hungry, 2 billion with insufficient nutrients and 2 billion already overweight or obese, malnutrition is affecting the health outcomes of over half the global population.
Further, current approaches to today’s food demand are seriously undermining the natural resource base upon which our food security depends. More food is needed in the future but climate change means reduced food production potential. Poor people will be hit the hardest and many are dependent on already-degraded natural resources In looking for solutions, all parts of the food system need to be considered: from farmers’ fields to consumers’ plates.
Following the session on ‘Feeding future generations with limited resources’ at the IARU Sustainability Science Congress in Copenhagen from 22nd – 24th October 2014, the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) and Future Earth will host a 1-day workshop in Copenhagen on Saturday 25th October 2014 at 10.00 – 16.00 on food systems.
The workshop has two objectives: (a) to explore modalities for achieving greater synergy amongst the current global research programs on food systems; and (b) to identify some of the major research themes that are currently under-researched. Future Earth is interested to establish a research area on food systems and this workshop will contribute to that aim.
In relation to the workshop, the 3rd International Conference on Biodiversity and the UN Millennium Development Goals will be held on 29-31st October 2014, with the theme on Biodiversity and Food Security – From Trade-offs to Synergies.