About this Event
By 2050, the world must feed two billion more people. Achieving food security means that all people, at all times, have reliable physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food.
After a period of progress in the number of people living in food insecurity globally, the situation has worsened again over the last few years - due to growing climate and other environmental shocks, conflicts, and rises in food prices in many parts of the world.
In response to this urgent need and worrying regression, the annual Peter Wilson event, organised in collaboration between the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Scottish Consortium of Rural Research, aims to delve into the pivotal questions, obstacles, and potential solutions surrounding this complex issue. Distinguished experts will explore innovative strategies and foster dialogue towards achieving lasting solutions towards global food security.
SPEAKER
Professor Rachel Norman FRSE
Chair of Food Security and Sustainability, Institutional Dean for Research Engagement and Performance, University of Stirling
Rachel Norman received a BSc Hons in Mathematics from the University of Liverpool in 1991 and then did a PhD in mathematical biology there, graduating in 1995. She spent a year as a postdoc in the zoology department in Oxford before coming to the University of Stirling in 1996 as a lecturer in the department of Computing Science and Mathematics. Her research focuses on mathematical models of infectious disease dynamics and control. Most of her work has been in animal disease, with specific expertise in tick-borne infections. In 2013, she was promoted to the position of Professor of Food Security and Sustainability. Her more recent focus has been interdisciplinary approaches to food security, including community growing systems. From a mathematical point of view she is working on trade-offs in the food system. Rachel was made a Fellow of the RSE in 2023.
SPEAKER
Dr Peter Alexander
Senior Lecturer of Global Food Security, University of Edinburgh
Peter Alexander is a Senior Lecturer of Global Food Security at the University of Edinburgh. His work focuses on modelling food and land use systems to better understand the social, economic, and environmental interactions of supply, demand, and trade, as well as the competition for land between agriculture, forests, and conservation. He led the development of the Land System Modular Model (LandSyMM), was a Lead Author for the 2022 IPCC Working Group II report and is a Coordinating Lead Author on UNEP’s 7th Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-7).
Other speakers to be announced.
Important points to note
- This event is suitable for age 16+
- Accessibility Statement: We aim to make events as accessible as possible. If you have any accessibility requirements or any questions about how we can support this event, please contact the RSE Public Engagement team on [email protected]
- Covid-19: In order to prevent the spread of Covid-19 we kindly encourage participants to continue to wear face masks if they feel comfortable to do so; use the hand sanitisers provided at the venue; and to stay at home if they have Covid symptoms or have tested positive for Covid-19.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The Royal Society Of Edinburgh, 22-26 George Street, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
GBP 0.00
