Science key to food system overhaul, UN summit hears

ABSTRACT

Speed read UN pre-summit on food systems pledges to put science behind ‘transformation’ Talks come as UN report reveals stark rise in global hunger Experts call for innovative approaches to tackle disaster and climate risks Science and innovation must be at the centre of global food system transformation to drive sustainable agricultural productivity and ensure food security and better nutrition for all, a UN meeting has heard. Commenting from the sidelines of the summit on Wednesday, Claudia Sadoff, managing director of research delivery and impact at global research organisation CGIAR, said food systems must not only produce enough to feed a growing population, but also address rising levels of malnutrition with increasingly scarce natural resources. Peter Vadas, national program leader at the US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service, says more innovative ways to sustainably produce livestock and livestock products were increasingly being deployed.