4th International Conference on Global Food Security

The 4th International Conference on Global Food Security addresses the topic of food security at all spatial levels from local to global, and from an interdisciplinary and systemic food systems perspective. It aims to better understand environmental, nutritional, agricultural, demographic, socio-economic, political, technological and institutional drivers, costs and outcomes of current and future food security. Interactions with contextual factors including climate change, urbanisation, greening the economy and data-driven technologies will be central. The conference addresses the triple burden of malnutrition: hunger, micronutrient deficiencies and obesity. It explores the state-of-the-art of interdisciplinary insight, addresses the trade-offs that occur – and synergies that can be sought –in transforming food systems. These are aimed at reconciling the competing environmental, economic or social objectives and outcomes towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals at different levels across spatial and temporal scales.

Contributions which bridge themes or scales, foster interdisciplinarity and integration or address interactions between science and non-academic stakeholders (civil society, private sector and policy makers) are particularly welcome. Single discipline or specific studies are welcome in parallel sessions or as posters.

Topics for sessions and abstracts
The conference welcomes contributions that address each of the three dimensions of food security (including their dynamics and stability), i.e.

A. Availability: production, distribution and exchange of food

B. Access: affordability, allocation and preference of food

C. Utilisation: nutritional value, social value and safety of food

and in particular contributions on the following cross-cutting topics, preferably addressing availability, access and utilisation in an integrated way:

1. Circularity of food systems at local, regional or global levels

2. Food security and the Sustainable Development Goals: synergies, tensions and trade-offs

3. Food security and policy, governance, institutions and trade

4. Influencing and moderating food consumption and demand (considering the food environment)

5. Transitions to post-carbon food systems in a post-carbon economy

6. Novel technologies based on robotics, data from omics and data on farms and personal health: efficiency, resilience and socio-economic impact

7. How to assess future food security: on foresight, forecasting, projecting, predicting and exploring the future