Speaker: Paul Behrens, University of Oxford
Climate change’s impacts, including on food systems, have been systemically underestimated. In the face of these impacts there is an urgent need for a rapid food system transformation. The decisions made in the coming years will influence food availability, prices, and ultimately the stability of society this century. In this talk Paul will outline the ways a rapid food system transformation – especially dietary shifts – can not only mitigate environmental impacts but enhance agriculture’s resilience to extreme weather events and shocks. He will also delve into ongoing research on the implications of these transformations for the agricultural sector, including changes in farming subsidies, assets, and income streams. Finally, he will address the current landscape of vested interests actively resisting these changes, highlighting the challenges faced in implementing crucial reforms to our food systems.
The talk will be followed by an online Q&A session.
Paul Behrens is British Academy Global Professor at the University of Oxford. His research and writing on climate, energy and food has appeared in scientific journals and media outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Thomson Reuters, Politico, Nature Sustainability, Nature Energy, PNAS, Joule, Nature Food, and Nature Communications. He is an editor and author of the interdisciplinary textbook Food and Sustainability (Oxford University Press, 2020). His popular science book, The Best of Times, The Worst of Times: Futures from the Frontiers of Climate Science (Indigo Press, 2021) describes humanity’s current trajectory and possible futures in paired chapters of pessimism and hope. Paul won International Champion in the Frontiers Planet Prize in 2023.
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