The G8’s first ever agriculture summit took place over the weekend of 18th to 20th April 2009, in response to the “world food emergency”.
With alarming volatility in world food prices and growing concern over the sustainability of our food system, food security is firmly on the international agenda after decades of complacency.
The Tracing Paper followed the build-up, progress and conclusion of the first ever G8 agriculture summit and examined some of the underlying issues of food security and sustainability.
Global recognition of the desperate need for measures to ensure global food security in coming decades is reflected in the G8 holding its first ever agriculture summit. After decades of complacency, in which food security was widely seen as an issue only for poor countries, even the world’s leading economic nations are waking up to the need for action if the whole world is to enjoy a sustainable supply of food.
Professor Tim Lang identifies the ten “new fundamentals” for 21st century food policy: oil and energy, water, climate change, biodiversity, demographics, urbanisation, labour, nutrition transition, health care costs, battles of power and price volatility.
Also posted in food matters | Tagged books, policy, tim lang |
Clarissa Dickson Wright rifles through some food packaging and discusses the problem of vague and misleading labelling with Tory spokesmen. All part of the Tories new Honest Food campaign: meat labelled ‘British’ should be born and bred in Britain
The Conservative Party launches a campaign for honest food, demanding that food labelled “British” should be born and bred in Britain. It’s hard to argue with but sadly often not the case in Britain today.
The UK government is at last waking from its long complacent slumbers and asking serious questions about food security. After enjoying an abundant supply of ever cheaper food for the last five decades, the developed world is beginning to realise that we can’t take the essentials of life for granted indefinitely.
Also posted in food matters | Tagged agriculture, British, crops, defra, environment, food security, fruit, london, meat, oil, resilience, Sustainable food |
Food Matters, the new Cabinet Office report on food policy
Opportunties and approaches for growing food for London in or near the city, from domestic production, allotments and transformed public spaces to community food groups, city farms and the surviving working farms on London’s fringe.
Barack Obama supports US union’s campaign for union engagement and better working conditions at Tesco’s US Fresh and Easy stores
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