Food Futures Now

This event took place on Friday 6th June 2008 at the City Mission, Lower Parliament Street, Nottingham.

The speakers were:

Dr Mae Wan Ho

Editor, Science in Society

Alan Simpson MP

Chair, Greater Nottingham Health & Environment Partnership

Chair - Dr Mike Attwell

WEA East Midlands Regional Director

The lecture was organised by Health in Your Environment with the support of Government Office for the East Midlands, East Midlands Development Agency, Climate Action Network Nottinghamshire, Nottingham City Council and Greater Nottingham Health and Environment Partnership.

A fundamental change in farming practice is needed to counteract soaring food prices, hunger, social inequities and environmental disasters. Genetically modified (GM) crops are highly controversial and will not play a substantial role in addressing the challenges of climate change, loss of biodiversity, hunger and poverty. Instead, small-scale farmers and agro-ecological methods are the way forward; with indigenous and local knowledge playing as important a role as formal science.

‘Food Futures Now’ considered sustainable models for agriculture that are not dependent on fossil fuels and yet highly efficient. The models adopt ideas and existing practice from around the world in forms that could work in the East Midlands.

Dr Mae-wan Ho, the principal author of 'Food Futures Now' which was recently launched in Parliament, presented the case for a radically new approach to farming and food production. Alan Simpson MP presented a local view drawn from experience in Greater Nottingham and his involvement with the "slow food" movement.

Following short presentations there was a "question time" discussion with the speakers responding to points raised by the audience.

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