Feeding the Nine Billion

Lord Krebs, Committee on Climate Change

How can we feed 9 billion people equitably, healthily and sustainably? Provide enough water and energy for a growing population coming out of poverty? And all this whilst mitigating and adapting to climate change? This presentation discusses these challenges, citing the slowing of progress made via the Green Revolution and the biodiversity, energy and water implications of agricultural developments. Sustainable intensification, GM crops, dietary changes and reductions in waste are reviewed, as is the potential for carbon reductions in the UK agriculture sector. Feeding the world in 2050 is a major challenge with some trends heading in the wrong direction. We need to consider all tools available and simultaneously tackle climate change.