Food security is a global issue. Predicted increases in the world population mean that the demand for food is expected to double by 2050 but the increase in temperature and extreme weather conditions expected due to climate change and resource depletion make our food production systems vulnerable.  Scotland is a large producer of seafood and has some of the highest yielding crop land on earth, so it has a great deal to contribute to finding solutions to the food security problem both in the UK and globally.  Vulnerable nations that will be able to produce less food in the future, will become increasingly reliant on Scottish produce. 

This programme is organised by the Scottish Food Security Alliance (SFSA) and uniquely brings together expertise in production, processing and distribution.  It is intentionally multi-sector and interdisciplinary in nature, bringing together academics with industry, policy and government institutes. Although many industry/science workshops have discussed food security in the past, it is rare for multiple sectors (seafood and crops) to work together, so our workshops will address this fragmentation.

Workshops will focus on significant themes on the food security agenda including reducing waste; safe and nutritious food; social and economic drivers of food systems; technology in food security; Scotland’s role in global food security.

Objectives:

i)   Address key challenges facing food security in Scotland and internationally, through a series of workshops.

ii)   Set the research agenda for the future by bringing major HEIs and stakeholders together to identify practical solutions to food security

iii)   Provide immediate solutions to current food security concerns by promoting the dissemination of state-of-the-art approaches and recent research findings across production systems. This will address both supply and economic returns to industry through more efficient practices.

iv)  Provide solutions for more impoverished regions taking into account our position in the international food system market and the potential of our research and practices.

v)   Remove barriers and constraints between fish and crop research, addressing for instance land-based food production for fish feed, resource recycling between these sectors and integrated farming systems.

The overall aim of the programme is to make an international impact by applying Scotland’s world-leading expertise in seafood and crop systems to address the key challenges and opportunities facing food security, bringing together academics, industry and policy makers so that practical solutions to food security can be identified.