Institute of Aquaculture

Foresight project on Global Food and Farming Futures

27 Jan 2011

The Institute of Aquaculture made a significant contribution to a recent UK Government funded project on Global Food and Farming Futures. The project was coordinated by Foresight, a futures think tank within the UK Government’s Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) that aims to help government think systematically about the future. The Foresight Programmes help to improve how science and technology is used within government and society more generally.

Foresight held an important meeting in London on January 24th 2011 to present the issues in the Global Food and Farming Futures project, coinciding with the publication of the final report which concludes that the current system of food production and supply is unsustainable and will fail to feed the growing global population unless radically redesigned. In introducing the report, Chief Scientist Professor Sir John Beddington said it provides compelling evidence for governments to act now.

The more than 100 reports which contributed to the project examined the multiple threats converging on the global food system, changes in the climate, competition for resources such as water supply and energy, and changing consumption patterns, among others. Ten members of staff of the Institute (Professors Brendan McAndrew, Randolph Richards, David Little and Lindsay Ross, Drs Kim Jauncey, Trevor Telfer, Richard Corner, and John Bostock, Neil Handisyde and Iain Gatward)authored 3 of the 4 papers related directly to the future development of aquaculture globally. Driver Review DR16 (Bostock et al., 2010) was one of 22 Driver reviews examining changes and stresses on the global food production system out to 2050. A parallel review of aquatic produce market chains was authored by Professor Jimmy Young from the Stirling Management School.

The project also sought 42 State of Science Reviews (SR), and within these the two reports related to aquaculture were authored by Institute staff (John Bostock (SR8) and Brendan McAndrew (SR3)). Significant contributions to State of Science Reviews were also made by former members of staff and alumni of the Institte, including Drs Martin van Brakel (Regional Case Study R6), Simon Funge-Smith (Driver Report 15 on freshwater fisheries), Malcolm Beveridge and Stuart Bunting (other workshop and review inputs).

All the Foresight aquatic science work was coordinated by Institute Emeritus Professor James Muir who was a member of the lead expert group for the project.

Professor Brian Austin, Director of the Institute of Aquaculture, said: “The extent of our contribution to this important report demonstrates the broad range of expertise and interests at the University of Stirling, and I am delighted that so many Institute staff have had the opportunity to influence the future direction of aquaculture policy both globally and in the UK.”