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The UK cross-government programme on food security research

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Publications, reports, resources and reviews from the Global Food Security programme.

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2019

Exploring the resilience of the UK food system in a global context

This policy brief, produced by GFS’ major interdisciplinary research programme ‘Resilience of the UK Food System in a Global Context’ (GFS-FSR), describes the importance of enhancing the resilience of the UK’s food system and how resilience thinking could be applied to the UK food system.

(You can view PDF documents by downloading a PDF reader. We recommend using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox web browsers.)

Download - Exploring the resilience of the UK food system in a global context

Horizon scanning report: Game-changing developments in the context of food security and future research priorities

Game-changing developments in the context of food security and future research priorities

This report details a priority questions exercise conducted by GFS’ Science Advisory Group. Findings highlight the latest contextual developments and research advances relevant to the food system, before drawing out a list of the top priority research questions for food security that could be addressed through interdisciplinary research.

(You can view PDF documents by downloading a PDF reader. We recommend using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox web browsers.)

Download - Game-changing developments in the context of food security and future research priorities

Transformative innovation across food supply chains to improve decision-making

Transformative innovation across food supply chains to improve decision-making

This report investigates how transformative innovation can lead to ‘business unusual’ in food supply chains, bringing together academia, industry, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), non-government organisations (NGOs) and policy makers. It examines the challenges to industry and business that technologies could address, and has provided future priorities for research, industry, and policy.

(You can view PDF documents by downloading a PDF reader. We recommend using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox web browsers.)

Download - Transformative innovation across food supply chains to improve decision-making

2018

Cover image for 'Food systems approaches to a sustainable future'

Food systems approaches to a sustainable future

This policy brief conveys five key messages for this year’s Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate change (COP24), based on the outputs of the Global Food Security programme’s Paris-compliant healthy food systems workshop. This document outlines why a food systems approach is required to meet the Paris Agreement and the wider Sustainable Development Goals, as well as to ensure future food security for a rapidly growing global population in the face of ongoing climate change.

(You can view PDF documents by downloading a PDF reader. We recommend using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox web browsers.)

Download - Food systems approaches to a sustainable future

A food systems approach to policy for health and sustainability

This report highlights the significant benefits for policymaking from a food systems approach. Thinking systemically and at an interdisciplinary level can help ensure that challenges are tackled from multiple perspectives and in a holistic way. Such an approach provides a way of identifying win-wins, managing trade-offs and mitigating less desirable outcomes, enabling stronger policy coherence across agriculture, nutrition, health, trade, climate and the environment, in both businesses and governments around the world.

(You can view PDF documents by downloading a PDF reader. We recommend using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox web browsers.)

Download - A food systems approach to policy for health and sustainability

Resilience of the UK food system in a global context third call: Equality impact assessment

  • Document Information: PDF 156KB
  • Date: April 2018

This document provides guidance when completing an Equality Impact Assessment (EIA). The EIA template can be found at the end of this document.

(You can view PDF documents by downloading a PDF reader. We recommend using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox web browsers.)

Download - Resilience of the UK food system in a global context third call: Equality impact assessment

Resilience of the UK food system in a global context third call: Call text

  • Document Information: PDF 446KB
  • Date: April 2018

We are inviting expressions of interest from early career researchers at lecturer level or equivalent to take part in a Sandpit (2.5 days on 4-6 July 2018 followed by 2 days on 19-20 July 2018) to address the following question: How can we transform our food system so it is based on healthy and sustainable diets and how would this impact on sustainable and resilient food production and supply?

(You can view PDF documents by downloading a PDF reader. We recommend using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox web browsers.)

Download - Resilience of the UK food system in a global context third call: Call text

2017

Insight: Paris-compliant healthy food systems

Insight, issue six: Paris-compliant healthy food systems

GFS Insight aims to offer a balanced and interdisciplinary representation of the current state of knowledge in a particular area relating to food security. This issue outlines the need for a food system that supports both health and the Paris climate agreement, exploring impacts of food production and consumption as well as potential interventions to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions across the system.

(You can view PDF documents by downloading a PDF reader. We recommend using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox web browsers.)

Download - Insight, issue six: Paris-compliant healthy food systems

Cover image of Alternatives to conventional pesticides workshop report

Alternatives to conventional pesticides: understanding the efficacy and unintended consequences of a change in practice

Pesticides provide numerous benefits, yet pressures on their use has led to industry exploring other viable options for pest, weed and disease management. This report examines the challenges of using alternatives to conventional pesticides, and highlights future research priorities for biopesticides and Integrated Pest Management strategies.

(You can view PDF documents by downloading a PDF reader. We recommend using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox web browsers.)

Download - Alternatives to conventional pesticides: understanding the efficacy and unintended consequences of a change in practice

Cover image of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the UK food retail and manufacturing business

UN Sustainable Development Goals and the UK food retail and manufacturing business

  • Document Information: PDF 4MB
  • Date: July 2017

The 17 SDGs were adopted by the UN in 2015 with the aim of driving the implementation of global sustainable development. This report details discussion at an industry focused workshop exploring how far UK food retail and manufacturing businesses are prepared for and engaged with the SDGs, and how research might help them play their part in meeting the goals.

(You can view PDF documents by downloading a PDF reader. We recommend using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox web browsers.)

Download - UN Sustainable Development Goals and the UK food retail and manufacturing business

The carbon footprint of high-protein foods

The carbon footprint of high-protein foods

This report explores how UK stakeholders and consumers perceive consumer-facing information that shows the carbon footprint of high-protein food products. The study was funded by the Global Food Security programme as part of the Policy Lab, in which post-doctoral researchers compete to write a report for the programme.

(You can view PDF documents by downloading a PDF reader. We recommend using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox web browsers.)

Download - The carbon footprint of high-protein foods

Environmental tipping points and food system dynamics: Main report

Environmental tipping points and food system dynamics: Main Report

This report details outcomes and recommendations from an inter-disciplinary and inter-sectoral working group considering tipping points in the food system. Their work provides evidence for the existence of environmental tipping point as well as an exploration of their potential consequences for global food security and options for risk mitigation.

(You can view PDF documents by downloading a PDF reader. We recommend using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox web browsers.)

Download - Environmental tipping points and food system dynamics: Main Report

Environmental tipping points and food system dynamics: Executive summary

Environmental tipping points and food system dynamics: Executive Summary

Environmental tipping points occur when a biophysical system shifts from one stable state to another, potentially bringing about changes in the provision of environmental goods and services. This report provides a summary of outcomes and recommendations from an inter-disciplinary and inter-sectoral working group considering potential impacts of tipping points within the food system.

(You can view PDF documents by downloading a PDF reader. We recommend using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox web browsers.)

Download - Environmental tipping points and food system dynamics: Executive Summary

2016

Paris-compliant healthy food systems

Paris-compliant healthy food systems

With the global food system as a whole currently responsible for around 30% of total anthropogenic greenhouse-gas emissions, the agri-food sector must adapt if we are to meet the terms of the Paris climate agreement. This report details discussions at an interdisciplinary workshop considering what a Paris-compliant healthy food system might look like in practice, and mechanisms by which this kind of food system might be realised.

(You can view PDF documents by downloading a PDF reader. We recommend using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox web browsers.)

Download - Paris-compliant healthy food systems

Insight: Over consumption and influences on diet

Insight, issue five: Overconsumption and influences on diet

GFS Insight aims to offer a balanced and interdisciplinary representation of the current state of knowledge in a particular area relating to food security. This issue outlines the global impacts of overconsumption, exploring the varied range of dietary influences that lead to overconsuming and potential interventions for prevention.

(You can view PDF documents by downloading a PDF reader. We recommend using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox web browsers.)

Download - Insight, issue five: Overconsumption and influences on diet

UK-China workshop: Extreme weather and global food system resilience

UK-China Workshop: Extreme weather and global food system resilience

GFS collaborated with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to hold the UK-China Workshop on extreme weather and global food system resilience. This workshop report provides an overview of how extreme weather might impact food production in China, how Chinese food policy and trade might affect the global market, and a number of shared future research priorities.

(You can view PDF documents by downloading a PDF reader. We recommend using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox web browsers.)

Download - UK-China Workshop: Extreme weather and global food system resilience

Game-changing technologies in agriculture

Game-changing technologies in agriculture

This think-piece showcases new technologies with strong disruptive potential in the next decade. New technologies will play an important role in food security, given that in just a 35 year period the earth is being tasked with producing more food than it has in the last 2000 years combined.

(You can view PDF documents by downloading a PDF reader. We recommend using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox web browsers.)

Download - Game-changing technologies in agriculture

  • Background image copyright: valio84sl/iStock/Thinkstock

Latest blog post

women in the field picking tea

Why International Women’s Day is important to the way we think about global food security: a perspective from the Global Challenges Research Fund

On a day like International Women’s Day, it is important to talk about how women’s rights and empowerment cut across various parts of our lives – whether we are women, men, or any other gender – across the world.

Read more - Why International Women’s Day is important to the way we think about global food security: a perspective from the Global Challenges Research Fund

Latest news

Defra appoints GFS project lead to bring food systems approach to policy-making

The lead researcher of a GFS-funded project, funded through the Resilience of the UK Food System in a Global Context research programme, has been appointed as the Food Systems Lead in a new multidisciplinary research programme from the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Read more - Defra appoints GFS project lead to bring food systems approach to policy-making

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