While considering future sustainability practices, one over-whelming, practical question arises – how do we feed 9 billion people? This is the projected population of the Earth by 2050 on current birth rates. While fair and equitable distribution of wealth has been an ongoing concern, there has been an increased awareness of several interconnecting issues to be addressed – the intricately linked and complex issues concerning poverty and food scarcity worldwide, from water management in dry arid regions, to local politics, developing economies, unsustainable production practices, changing consumer demands as well as the impact of climate change, unstable markets and the flow of trade. These are all broad issues that the concept of ‘universal sustainability’ needs to deal with, and in ways, already considered by the concept of climate justice. What we are seeing across global systems of equity, are responses to this potentially worsening crisis of food distribution by identifying better systems for ‘three pillar’ economics, for agri-business, open markets and equitable trade.
One area that connects many of these issues is the development and exploitation of emerging technologies for use in contextual farming practices and food manufacture. In the 2012 Summit on Universal Sustainability, we call on eminent speakers to address specific points among these issues, with examples from their own areas of practice particularly as they relate to the business sector, but also from policy and science, mindful that solutions presented in our case studies have lessons for all of society, and require critical analysis and decisive, swift action.
Objectives:
To present case studies, and critically reflect on:
- Sales , distribution, sustainability
- Food security
- Consideration for local ecosystems and livelihoods
- Appraising emerging food technologies”
Process:
2 hour panel discussion. Each speaker will have 15 minutes, with another 15 minutes Q&A followed by a short ‘roundtable with audience participation for 1) further issues to be addressed by the ‘universal suitability’ concept and 2) action plan for each context discussed
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