Discussion: Food Crisis
CAMDEN CONFERENCE DISCUSSION SERIES: The Coming Food Crisis: How to feed the world in 2050
Join the Conversation!
The Coming Food Crisis Discussions have now concluded, but the information and resources are below:
Tonight a billion people will go to bed hungry and that number may only get worse. Between now and 2050, the world’s population will rise by nearly a third, while the demand for agricultural goods will rise by 70% and the demand for meat will double. These increases will have to happen without farmers clearing large amounts of new land or using up lots more water and all the while dealing with the consequences of climate change which will do more harm than good to farmland around the world. The February 2014 Camden Conference – The Global Politics of Food and Water – will zero in on this crisis.
The Coming Food Crisis: How to feed the world in 2050, is the topic that launched the new Discussion Series sponsored by the Camden Conference. Join the Conversation! The discussions are like a book group, requiring preparation by reading short articles/viewing brief videos that form the basis of your participation. Estimated time to prepare for this topic is 105 minutes. There are three articles — 2 pages, 21 pages and 16 pages — and a 17-minute video. Alternatively, there is a video by Julian Cribb of 69 minutes that could replace the16-page article. We would like to emphasize that there are additional articles and videos listed for this topic that you may want to view to enhance your knowledge. A facilitator from the local community will be there to keep the discussion on track.
The articles and videos are listed below, or you may click here to download the complete reading list. Alternatively, a reading copy of the essential articles will be available at the library circulation desk.
Essential Articles and Videos
Note: The Lester Brown video in the optional list below is not required but only because of its length (54 minutes). It is highly recommended.
1. The Coming Famine: Risks & Solutions for Global Food Security. (2010) Article in Science Alert by Julian Cribb, 16 pages.
This article and the video (below) provide a vivid portrait of impending global famine due to global food shortages by mid-century. “It is time that humanity as a whole, and governments in general awoke to this challenge.”
Note: To print out this article, click on the small printer icon that appears just below the title and to the right.
Note: The Julian Cribb article above and video below cover the same material. Choose one or the other.
2. The Coming Famine. (2011) Video on Vimeo by Julian Cribb, 69 minutes.
Speaking at a public seminar held by the CSIRO Alumni, guest presenter, Professor Julian Cribb talks about his latest book, The Coming Famine, which predicts a global food shortage that threatens to hit by mid-century.
3. Agroecology and the Right to Food. (2011) A report from the United Nations Human Rights Council, 21 pages.
The question today is HOW to provide food to feed the global population. This document identifies Agroecology as a mode of agriculture preferred for global sustainability. Agroecology is the application of ecological science to the study, design and management of sustainable agroecosystems, which is rooted both in science and practice.
Note: To print out this report, simply print the page using your computer’s print command.
4. Michael Pollan: A Plant’s-eye View. (2008) A TEDTalk (video) from TED, 17 minutes.
The last 6 minutes of this video (minutes 11-17) are a good companion to the agroecology article from the United Nations. Mr. Pollan describes a farm in Virginia, which is a vivid example of agroecology.
Note: This resource is a video with an accompanying transcript. If you’d like to print out the transcript, click the “Show transcript” drop down tab and select “English.” The full transcript will appear. Copy the transcript to your computer’s clipboard and paste it into any word processor for printing.
5. Can Organic Food Feed the World? New Study Sheds Light on Debate over Organic Vs Conventional Agriculture. (2012) An article from ScienceDaily, 2 pages.
Will a large scale shift to organic farming increase the world’s food supply?
Note: To print out this article, click on the small printer icon that appears at the top far right of the Web page along with other options to save, email, and share the article.
Click here for additional readings and videos
For assistance or more information about the Camden Conference Discussion Series, please contact the Camden Conference Office by email to info@camdenconference.org, or call 207-236-1034.
The 27th Annual Camden Conference: The Global Politics of Food and Water, will be held February 21 through 23, 2014. The mission of the Camden Conference is to foster informed discourse on world affairs through year-round community events, public and student engagement, and an annual weekend conference.