The projects integrate biological, environmental and social sciences to help ensure food security in the face of evolving worldwide markets, environmental and demographic changes, and threats posed by pests and diseases.
The research looks to optimise resilience, productivity and sustainability across the food system, ensure resilient supply chains and influence food choices to relieve pressure on global food systems. The successful projects will focus specifically on increasing crop and livestock tolerance to weather, emerging diseases, price volatility and other environmental and social shocks and include the development of models that can be used by the food security community globally.
“This investment will help ensure that the UK food system is primed to face challenges in a changing climate by building resilience at all levels" says Chief Executive of the BBSRC, Professor Melanie Welham, "By working together BBSRC, ESRC, NERC and the Scottish Government can help to ensure that UK research delivers global benefits for society and the economy.”
The funded projects are:
- Increasing resilience to water-related risks in the UK fresh fruit and vegetable system
- Resilience of the UK food system to Global Shocks (RUGS)
- PIGSustain: Predicting the impacts of intensification and future changes on UK Pig Industry Resilience
- IKnowFood: Integrating Knowledge for Food Systems Resilience
- Securing the future of the UK’s favourite fruit
The research programme was driven forward by the UK’s Global Food Security Programme, with funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and Scottish Government.
More information can be found here.