Significance Conference – Food Security for Cities - This Tuesday! All Welcome!

Author: Julian Champkin

The Significance ‘Hot Topic’ conference on Feeding the Cities is happening this Tuesday.

The June issue of Significance was a special issue on cities. One of the topics it treated was how the world’s ever-growing cities can be fed. More than half the population of the world now lives in cities, and city-dwellers eat differently from those in the country. They eat more meat, more processed foods, fewer simple grains and starches. Their food supplies travel long distances to reach them. It all puts much more strain on the planet’s resources; and when prices rise, city-dwellers are vulnerable.

It is such an important issue that Significance and the Royal Statistical Society have arranged a one-day ‘Hot Topic’ conference on the subject. As with all Significance events it is intended for everyone, experts or not; and the speakers and final agenda are here below.

Our speakers are first-rank experts. We have Kevin Morgan of Cardiff University, speaking on The Urban Foodscape: are planners the problem or the solution? Agronomist Keith Jaggard from Rothamsted Research station, will look at technological approaches and whether, in the light of climate change, plant research, and GM and other technologies we can expect increasing yields of crops. Possible future scenarios, of plenty or of scarcity, will be examined by Dirk Willenbockel of the Institute of Development. He will review projections for the global food system towards 2050 and the potential policy insights arising from them. There will be discussions from the floor at every stage, to which all are invited to contribute.

After lunch – provided - smallholder and scientist Chris Smaje will outline the case for a new ruralism with much more localised food production – see his Significance article on this issue here. Duncan Green, Head of Research at Oxfam UK, will talk on Winners and Losers from the Global Food System. The current system does produce enough to feed the world, but as appalling events in Somalia are showing, it leaves far too many in want. And David Satterthwaite of the International Institute for Environment and Development will ask what those who suffer hunger in cities prioritise. Since he has spent his career working among such people, he should be listened to.

All are welcome to come. You do not have to be a member of the RSS, nor a statistician. The day is intended to look at some of the real difficulties that are facing the world and some of the complex issues that surround them. To register, go here; or turn up on the day. The venue is the Royal Statistical Society, 12 Errol Street, London EC1Y 8LX. Nearest tube: Moorgate. It starts at 11.00 am, with registration from 10.30.

We hope to see you there.