Priorities for Public Sector Research on Food Security and Natural Resources, Review 1 by Charles Godfray, Oxford University on April 12, 2013 at the Food Security Futures Conference in Dublin, Ireland.

1. More to food system than food
• Use many resources, result of human and
natural capital
• Food production takes place in multifunctional
landscapes
– Positive and negative externalities
• Pervasive feedbacks
• Modelling challenges
– AgMIP really important

2. Food Security and Sustainable
Resource Use: what are the resource
challenges to food security?
Frank Place & Alexandre Meybeck
Review by
Charles Godfray
Oxford University

3. Sustainability
• What do mean by, and how do we measures
sustainability?
– We know enough for no-regret actions
• Ecosystem services approach
– Young science, moving fast beyond MEA
– Limitations (conceptual and practical)
• Biodiversity
– Clarity and priority
– Ecosystem service substitutability

4. Land
• Restoration versus conversion
• Is no new conversion a “no regret policy”?
– GHG, climate regulation, biodiversity, [wild food]
– Equity and politics

5. Sustainable intensification
• Genetic intensification
– Water & fertiliser efficiency
– Feed efficiency
• Agronomic intensification
– Precision agriculture
– Rainwater harvesting
• Market intensification
– Leap-froging infrastructure
– Novel financing
– Better governance

6. Sustainable intensification
• Genetic intensification
– Water & fertiliser efficiency
– Feed efficiency
• Agronomic intensification
– Precision agriculture • Major research
– Rainwater harvesting challenges in natural and
• Market intensification social sciences
– Leap-froging infrastructure
– Novel financing
– Better governance

7. Private & public sector
• Public sector
– Pre-competition
– Non-marketable
– Public goods
• Private sector
– “Only 2% private sector research in LDCs”
– Enabling financial environment
– Appropriate regulation
– Demonisation
– Trade

8. Data & information
• Huge opportunities
– Multisectoral
– Leadership (in-house work, metadata standards)
– Private sector input
– Modern ICT revolutionary
• Could be transformational
– Transparency to improve governance
– Inclusive and participatory