The Global Food Security programme recently held a workshop with renowned academics to identify the key cross- and inter- disciplinary research priorities and topics needed to deliver food security and meet our global goals by 2030.
The GFS Science Advisory Group (SAG) considered what research was needed to deliver a healthy, resilient and sustainable UK food system in a global context. These prominent researchers studying the food system collectively developed a list of 70+ research priorities, within the scope of a £5-10m research programme. After deliberation and debate the SAG voted for the top 20 questions they felt the GFS programme should answer.
The key research topics and questions included “how can we reformulate plant-based foods to meet nutritional standards?” and “how can we incentivise dietary change?”.
The need for research that delivers action and directly informs both government and business policy and practice was apparent from the activity. The top 20 research questions from this also demonstrate the importance of collective action by GFS partners to work collaboratively; inter-disciplinary research is a key to successfully transforming our food system.
The top 20 food security research priorities identified by the Global Food Security Programme (GFS) Scientific Advisory Group (SAG):
- How can we reformulate plant-based foods to minimum nutritional standards (who’s role is this? Government, industry? Does this rely on globalised commodity production and trade?)
- How poverty impacts diet, health and wellbeing and our ability to withstand external changes in the economy
- How to incentivise dietary change including public and private partnerships and how to engage the public and include different social groups
- How can changing diet enhance resilience – what aspects of dietary change could most enhance resilience?
- What business models can make healthy and sustainable diets accessible and acceptable, while still profitable?
- What are the risks and benefits of integrating new technologies (e.g., gene editing) in current and future food systems?
- What changes do we need to make so that the food system is managed like a public good? How can we shift government ideology so that food systems are tackled and made a govt priority?
- What is the impact of transitioning to net zero and impact of climate change on the nature of the food system?
- What does a resilient food system look like? How can we measure resilience?
- What is the optimal combination of local, national, global food supply and production for a resilient and healthy food system?
- How to manage demand rather than continuing driving it upwards in order to improve resilience, sustainability, and health-giving properties?
- Where are the sensitive intervention points of our food system to build resilience?
- How can trade better contribute to resilient, sustainable and nutrition-providing food systems?
- What are the socially politically and environmentally feasible changes to the food environment?
- What is the role of regenerative agriculture in healthy, resilient, and sustainable food systems?
- How will environmental change impact on pests and diseases and how do we build resilient food production systems?
- How do social tipping points in the food system (e.g. switch to vegetarianism) impact on resilience?
- Does incorporating wellbeing of primary producers and consumers into sustainable food systems avoid inequalities? How do we measure wellbeing and how best to operationalise it in policy and markets?
- How can we regulate to ensure corporate investment in net zero, nature positive and heath positive outcomes?
- Quantifying the role that public procurement could play in delivering sustainable healthy diets
This workshop build on the previous SAG meeting findings (click here to download PDF). The questions will be used to shape the ongoing GFS strategy refresh and the activities of the programme going forwards.