In 2013, the Humanitarian Centre will be launching a a year-long focus on Food Security. For the past two years, the Humanitarian Centre has held similar ‘themed years’, on Global Health (2011-2012) and ICT4D (2010-2011), to help build and strengthen a network of individuals and organisations, in Cambridge and beyond, to more effectively address these global challenges. Watch this space for information about our upcoming events–or join our Food Security mailing list, and we’ll send fortnightly news and updates right to your inbox.
On 12 May, The Humanitarian Centre hosted a seminar on Sustainable Agriculture Development, led by the TAA (Tropical Agriculture Association), as part of the Global Food Futures Year. The following is a report on the seminar, written by the TAA. This report can also be downloaded here.
The Sustainable Agriculture Development Seminar was led by the TAA (Tropical Agriculture Association), with enthusiastic support from the (more...)
The United Nations (UN) predicts that 70% more food will need to be produced by 2050 to feed a global population of 9 billion. However current increases in crop yields will not be sufficient to meet estimated demands. In fact as we look to increase crop production, we will face further problems that restrict the way we look to live. Land is a very finite resource and competition is fierce. Much is lost to biofuels, meat production and urbanisation. As a result, arable land is overused leading (more...)
On Friday June 13th, the Humanitarian Centre is delighted to invite you to join Dame Barbara Stocking and Sir Jonathon Porritt for a special conversation on climate change and food security as it affects the world’s most vulnerable people – and how we can work towards solutions to these challenges that benefit everyone.
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What has now been dubbed the “9 billion people question” looms large over our global food futures horizon. How exactly will we feed over 9 billion people by 2050, when so many people go hungry today?
Many have pointed out that there is in fact enough food for everyone today if we enact more equitable and transparent practices and policies around land and food. And others show that there is a strong role for science and evidence-based practice in cultivating crops that will produce more food (more...)
If you missed the Innovation & Development Hackathon in March, and are eager to engage in dialogue and activity around global food security, then we hope the many May and June events of the Global Food Futures Year will give you your fill!
Please get in touch with Programmes Manager, Anne Radl, for more information about any of our upcoming events.
Sustainable Agriculture Development Seminar
Monday 12 May 2014, 14.00 to 18.00; Hughes Hall, University of CambridgeDr
Willem Stoop of the University (more...)
On February 12th, the Humanitarian Centre was delighted to have the opportunity to ask Dr Andrew MacMillan, the former Director of Field Operations at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, to give a lecture as part of our Global Food Futures Year. The question he chose to challenge our audience with was, “Hasn’t the time come for some brave new thinking on food management?” (more...)
So you’re in the biscuit aisle of the supermarket, pondering your options for a teatime snack. Seemingly a simple decision . . . But of course every pack of biscuits has a story behind it – and as a conscientious, thoughtful person, you might like to know what that story is. Just as we ask how the animals were treated on the farm before they go to the butcher, and whether or not our vegetables grew in chemically-treated fertilisers or organic ones – so we might also like to know about the (more...)
The challenges for the 2014 Innovation & Development Hackathon are live! As part of the Humanitarian Centre’s Global Food Futures Year, this year’s challenges explore how we can use technology to help UK consumers make better choices about the food they eat, and its impact on the health, wealth and welfare of people and planet.
And the challenges are . . .
The Fairtrade Foundation - www.fairtrade.org.uk
This is a unique opportunity to put your mind to work on converting high levels of (more...)
The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) states that almost 1 billion people are undernourished. But why is this the case, when we already produce more than one and a half times enough food to feed the entire planet? There are many reasons. This article examines the issue of meat production, a factor which is controlled by our own choices.
Alarmingly, the food we eat has a direct impact on the security of others and the long term sustainability of our planet. Levels of global meat (more...)
If you weren’t able to join us on the evening of October 8th for the Launch of the Global Food Futures Year, you can now listen to Camilla Toulmin’s (Director of IIED) powerful keynote address, introductions by Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz,Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge and Professor Ottoline Leyser of the Sainsbury Laboratory and quickfire presentations by:
Dr Bhaskar Vira of the Cambridge University Strategic Initiative in Global Food Security
Dr Aled Jones of the (more...)
