International food security expert to speak at UF

March 31, 2014

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Oxford University Professor Charles Godfray, one of the most influential scientists involved in research and outreach on global food security, is speaking at the University of Florida April 4 as part of the Florida Climate Institute’s Distinguished Scholar Seminar.

Godfray is Professorial Fellow in Zoology at Oxford University’s Jesus College, with interests in environmental sciences, and has published articles on ecology, evolution and epidemiology. He is interested in how the global food system will change and adapt to the challenges facing humanity in the 21st century. He is focused on the concept of “sustainable intensification” and the relationship between food production, ecosystem services and biodiversity.

“The coming challenge of food security will require action on producing more food, changing diets and improving food system governance,” Godfray said. “On the production side, the critical issue is can we simultaneously produce more food with fewer negative environmental impacts? This is what is meant by ‘sustainable intensification.’”

Godfray chaired the lead expert group of the British Government’s “Foresight Project on the Future of Food and Farming” and is a member of the strategy advisory board of the U.K. Global Food Security Programme and the steering group of the U.K. Government Green Food Project.  He is a member of the writing team for the United Nation’s Committee on World Food Security, High Level Panel of Experts report on Climate Change and Food Security.

After meeting with students and faculty in the morning, Godfray will speak at 2 p.m. in University Auditorium on “The Role of Sustainable Intensification in Global Food Security.” This seminar series is sponsored by a gift from Kevin and Jeannette Malone and is free and open to the public. The seminar can be seen at: http://mediasite.video.ufl.edu/Mediasite/Play/f97f0919445b408d859c23bc7607b7791d