Welcome to Feeding Ten Billion
The global food crisis that seized the attention of world leaders, the public and the press in 2008 is a reminder of just how much we take for granted when it comes to our food supply. The sharp spike in commodity prices increased food import bills for economically distressed developing countries, led to political unrest, and pushed up the number of hungry people in the world from 850 million to 925 million. If last year’s food crisis demonstrated the world’s food security vulnerabilities to an unsuspecting audience, the economic crisis that shoved it off of the global stage proved how short our attention span can be, especially when it comes to dealing with long-term problems. Unlike the economic crisis, which hopefully will be only a distasteful memory in a couple of years, the threats to food security will play out over decades. Even with a decline in commodity prices from their 2008 peaks, the vulnerabilities revealed by the crisis have not disappeared: The number of people who are food insecure has not declined; climate change still threatens to alter global food production capabilities in ways we do not fully comprehend.; the demand for biofuels as an alternative to fossil fuels continues to grow. Given these challenges, it would be unwise to view 2008 as an anomaly. Rather, it should energize us to find solutions to the challenges of food security, both short-term and long-term.
The first lesson we should take away from the global food crisis of 2008 is that food security is a global concern. Food security has conventionally been perceived as a poverty-related problem endemic to certain parts of the world. Last year’s crisis demonstrated that economic inter-dependence has advanced to the point that food insecurity anywhere in the world affects us all. If global food security can be disrupted by supply shortages and price spikes under current conditions, what can we expect as the global population approaches ten billion people by 2050 and climate change affects where, when and how food is produced? Preparing for this challenge requires long-term investments in science, technology, institutions and people.
The purpose of this forum is to provide a space for bringing together the multitude of disciplines that contribute to feeding the world and for sharing the knowledge, expertise, insights and innovations necessary to ensure an abundant and sustainable food supply for all current and future inhabitants of this planet.
