According to a recent report by Landscapes for People, Food and Nature Initiative, led by EcoAgriculture Partners, the food and beverage sectors are at the highest risk from “sustainability megaforces” – such as water scarcity and population growth among others—but are least prepared to manage that risk. This report argues that when sourcing areas are threatened by a constellation of risks that cannot be mitigated solely on-farm or via supply chain programs, landscape approaches offer solutions.

A report by the UK consumer group Which? calls for a new approach to how food issues are handled to give consumer interests much greater priority, based on: Strong Government leadership and a clear food strategy; Effective consumer engagement on food issues;

This should get you out into the garden.  If you don’t want to get your hands dirty, you can buy a half dozen chocolate coated ants or worms at Fortnum and Mason’s for a mere £7. 

Beginning in 2007, the world has suffered three rounds of high food prices. These crises were caused by a variety of factors—from extreme weather events to civil conflict—but poor policies by affected countries exacerbated the problem, according to an expert on the subject who spoke at IFPRI last week.

Scientists at Lancaster, Virginia and Oxford universities have produced a web-based tool that allows anyone living in the UK to see their own ‘nitrogen footprint’. 

FCRN network member Hannah Tuomisto has co-authored a life cycle analysis of (hypothetical) in-vitro meat production here: Tuomisto H L, Teixeira de Mattos M J (2011) Environmental Impacts of Cultured Meat Production. Environ. Sci. Technol. dx.doi.org/10.1021/es200130u 

Bill Gates seems to have entered into the meat question.  In his view it is simply not possible to feed 9 billion people on a high meat diet and the way forward is therefore the development of artificial meat and eggs. 

This CCAFS blogpost by Timm Tennigkeit and Andreas Wilkes argues that agriculture is a major driver of deforestation, but offers great mitigation potential if managed properly. The authors’ recently released research report finds that emission reduction approaches can also be cost competitive.