Food security and global change

Land and marine habitats are limiting resources in terms of food production, energy generation, conservation and urban development. Variation in land and water quality across the globe, coupled with environmental changes limits the available options for agriculture, and many of our crops are threatened by emerging infectious diseases. In the marine environment, we already see fundamental changes in the productivity affecting aquaculture and biogeochemical cycles due to climate change.

Within the University of East Anglia (UEA) there is extensive expertise in climate research, ecosystem management and terrestrial and marine biodiversity. These skills are complemented by the John Innes Centre’s (JIC) and The Sainsbury Laboratory’s (TSL) leading position in plant and microbial sciences relevant to the production of new and improved crops, and the role of our strategic partner Cefas in aquatic food security and marine environmental management. The UEA has significant expertise spanning the decision-support process, using qualitative and quantitative tools to develop participatory stakeholder approaches to policy changes.