Food security, sustainable agriculture and the bio-economy
Feeding the world
Around the world tonight millions of people will go to bed hungry and not be sure if they will have enough food to eat tomorrow – this is called ‘food insecurity’. People who are chronically hungry are undernourished and this can make it hard to do everyday things like going to school or work.
Undernourishment is particularly tough on children because it can make them develop more slowly and leaves them vulnerable to disease. By 2050, there’ll be around 9 billion people on the planet, meaning we’ll need 70% more food to feed them.
On the other hand, in developed countries constant access to food containing a lot of fat and sugar, along with changes in our lifestyle, is causing obesity to become a real problem.
If you want to help make people’s supply of food more secure, safe and healthy then a career in science is one way to make a real difference. Less polluting fertilizers to make crops grow, research into ways to protect crops from diseases, veterinary science to help farmers keep their livestock healthy – these are all possible areas in which you could make a difference if you choose science as your way forward.
Browse dream jobs related to this and other science challenges