During BioVision 2007, experts acknowledged that ensuring adequate food supply is a great challenge due to population growth and limited water and land resources that are available. They agreed that there is a crucial need to increase global food production. In 2009, the “Food for All” session will deal with the specific aspects of food supply in large urban areas: if we do succeed in producing enough food to feed the world, will we be able to bring this food production to everybody’s plate?
Increasing local food production could be part of the solution, but how do we promote big enough food production areas close to large urban settings? The issue of transportation is also of key importance. Storage and food conservation raise many problems. Can we find alternatives to the cold chain that cannot be properly carried out in some countries?
Another aspect of the problem is that, in many southern countries, the urban lifestyle causes a significant change of habits. The time previously dedicated to the preparation of meals is dramatically reducing. What new packaging and culinary preparations can be offered to customers?
Can Life Sciences provide any solutions to these problems?