Institute of Development Studies

Foresight Project Global Food and Farming Futures: Food System Scenarios and Modelling

The Foresight project Global Food and Farming Futures explores the increasing pressures on the global food system between now and 2050. The Report highlights the decisions that policy makers need to take today, and in the years ahead, to ensure that a global population rising to nine billion or more can be fed sustainably and equitably. The Foresight report makes a compelling case for urgent action to redesign the global food system to meet the challenge of feeding the world over the next 40 years.

The sub-project Food System Scenarios and Modelling reviews existing long-run food system scenario studies and develops a range of alternative model-based quantitative projections for the global food system.

• IDS key contact: Sherman Robinson
• Project dates: July 2009 - October 2010
• Project status: Closed
• Funder: Government Office for Science

Researchers

• Sherman Robinson
• Dirk Willenbockel

Partner Organisations

• International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Selected Outputs

• Government Office for Science (2011) 'Food System Scenarios and Modelling', Foresight Project Global Food and Farming Futures Synthesis Report C4 , London: Government Office for Science
• Reilly, M. and Willenbockel, D. (2010) 'Managing Uncertainty: A Review of Food System Scenario Analysis and Modelling', Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Series B 365.1554:3049-63
• Godfray, H.C.J., Beddington, J.R., Crute, I.R., Haddad, L., Lawrence, D., Muir, J.F., Nisbett, N., Robinson, S., Toulmin, C. and Whiteley, R. (2010) 'The Future of the Global Food System', Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 365.1554:2769-77, London: Royal Society Publishing
• Godfray, H.C.J., Beddington, J.R., Crute, I.R., Haddad, L., Lawrence, D., Muir, J.F., Pretty, J., Robinson, S., Thomas, S.M. and Toulmin, C. (2010) 'Food Security: The Challenge of Feeding 9 Billion People', Science 327:812-18