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ARCHIVE: International drivers of sustainable and secure food

As well as the food we produce, import and consume ourselves, the UK is active in ensuring that we help to meet global food and nutrition needs sustainably, including the challenge of ensuring that the global food production increases required to feed the world’s population are achieved within environmental limits. 

With the global population estimated to increase from 6bn to 9bn by 2050, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that global food production will have to increase by 70% compared to 2005-7 levels.  Increasing availability of, and access to, existing food supplies – including by minimising waste along the food chain – will also be important.  Already, over 1bn people globally face hunger and undernourishment. 

Given that our food supply relies heavily on scarce global resources such as soil, water and biodiversity, it is important that our efforts to achieve global food security over the longer term are underpinned by sustainable natural resource management, taking account of climate impacts. 

Defra and DFID are collaborating closely on this agenda and have published a joint document setting out the current situation and our actions going forward.  Such efforts, accompanied by our ongoing work on trade reform, and continued investment in research and development, will have an important bearing on the sustainability and security of our own food system here in the UK, and support the delivery of Food 2030. 

Further information

Page last modified: 26 March 2010
Page published: 10 August 2009