Programme 21-23

Under the general heading “food”, BrIAS approached this topic from a wide array of viewpoints, with the input of scholars from biology, chemistry, ecology, agricultural sciences, hydrology, anthropology, ethnography, political sciences, biotechnology, sociology, economic botany, economics, urban studies, history, archaeology, medicine, and law. In addition, BrIAS involved policymakers and NGOs at a national and supranational level, focusing on the legal, medical, and nutritional aspects of future agricultural and food technologies.

To preserve coherence and be inspired by current societal and academic debates, we identified one core theme that received special attention: the world’s future food supply is in jeopardy. The prospect of fast-growing populations combined with environmental degradation and shrinking agricultural yields because of the climate crisis has urged researchers from all disciplines to develop new ways of thinking about food security and sustainability. BrIAS brought together top experts working on this topic to share their insights with the academic community and policymakers.

Feeding the population has been a main concern of societies throughout human history, as the vagaries of the weather and other natural and human catastrophes frequently caused famine and hardship. ‘Give us our daily bread’ reflects an ever-present fear of hunger and starvation. In modern times, this concern reached a global scale when coupled with overpopulation and environmental degradation. Most famously, Thomas Malthus (1766–1834) warned about increasing poverty if population growth was unrestrained. Less well-known is the response of William Godwin (1820), who calculated the world could sustain 8 billion people. The Green Revolution came in time to feed growing populations, but also revealed that large famines in the modern world resulted from societal failure.

However, the detrimental impact of intensive modern agriculture has been recognized. Current modes of intensive agriculture cause long-term environmental damage due to water depletion and chemical pollution, preventing sustainable use of soil for future generations. At the same time, growing awareness of climate change has increased worries about the sustainability of the world population and food systems. Theories linking the collapse of past civilizations (from the Mayas to the Roman Empire) to climate change and failing food supply systems highlight the relevance of these concerns today.

By 2050, society will be challenged to almost double food production from existing land areas to feed more than nine billion people. According to the FAO, achieving global food security and eliminating malnutrition are among the most challenging issues humanity must face. Policies, agricultural practices and food production must change to guarantee the well-being and sustainability of future generations. Agricultural development must combine fundamental research with advanced technologies to produce more healthy food with fewer inputs.

BrIAS Programme directors and Fellows, across academic disciplines, developed an integrated program on this theme.