Media releases

Food security in a changing climate
22 October 2009

Today, for the first time in almost a quarter of a century, food is back on the political agenda.

There are many reasons for this including the increased demand for food, especially meat, in the rapidly growing economies of Asia, the demand for land to grow biofuels, drought and severe flooding in diverse countries, and diseases associated with the food consumed in rich countries.

Until recently there has been a widespread assumption that problems of food production have been solved, and that food security is largely a matter of distribution and access to be achieved principally by open markets. The events of 2008 challenged these assumptions.

In addition to these factors there is an increasing awareness that changing climate may profoundly affect the zones of major food production globally.

Professor Peter Gregory is Director and Chief Executive of the Scottish Crop Research Institute. In a public lecture, he will show that global environmental and social changes are affecting food systems and suggest some of the likely technological and policy responses that will result.

Professor Gregory is the 50th Anniversary Selby Fellow and participating in a Think Tank organised by the Australian Academy of Science, looking at the impact of climate change on Australian agricultural productivity.

Professor Peter Gregory will be available for interview upon request.
Contact Science Policy Manager, Martin Callinan, on 02 6201 9458 or 0417 209 425

Who: Professor Peter Gregory, 50th Anniversary Selby Fellow
What: Public lecture ‘Food Security in a Changing Climate’
When: 12.30–1.45pm, Friday 23 October 2009
Where: Oaks on Collins, 480 Collins Street, Melbourne

Information
High Flyer Think Tank: for more information go to www.science.org.au/events/thinktank2009

The Selby Fellowship: more information can be found at www.science.org.au/awards/selby