Food security concerns

As populations grow and emerging economies develop, there is concern that food production will not be able to keep up with growing demand. Demand for animal protein is especially problematic, due to the high land usage animal agriculture requires. Environmental degradation and climate change could exacerbate production issues. Rising temperatures, extreme weather events, greenhouse gas emissions, soil degradation, deforestation, and water stress could limit food supply. Robust supply chains and food infrastructure systems are also important for making sure food can be accessed everywhere, especially in poor and rural areas. Emerging technologies such as the internet of things, blockchain, sensors, and other agri-tech have been proposed to sustainably manage crops and food supply, but experts warn that technology is not a complete solution.

The future of urban agriculture in Singapore by ARUP complies collective thoughts about the future of urban agriculture in Singapore from an 'ARUP Explores' event led by their Foresight and Innovation team. The report focuses on four themes: increasing urban food production, rethinking the supply chain, moving towards sustainable consumption and managing/eliminating food waste.

The Future of Protein-The Protein Challenge 2040: Shaping the future of food by Forum for the Future examines the current state of the protein market in the food industry and assesses whether existing commitments and activities are sufficient to address global sustainability challenges. It explores rapidly increasing demand for animal protein, overfishing, habitat loss, inequalities of global protein intake, and protein system innovations.

The Future of Conflict in an Age of Climate Extremes by Global Governance Futures considers the impact of climate change on human security, access to resources, and (violent and non-violent) conflicts. One key uncertainty used to build scenarios is food security.

Exploring europe's capability requirements for 2035 and beyond by RAND offers insight into some of the strategic challenges facing European societies, militaries, and industries up to 2035+. Some drivers mentioned include stresses on resources such as food water and energy, and competition for agricultural land.

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