What can professional food societies actually do to help feed the world?

1. What can professional food societies actually do to help feed the world? Prof J Ralph Blanchfield, MBE Chair, External Affairs Institute of Food Science & Technology President Elect 2003-2006 International Academy of Food Science & Technology Member of IUFoST Governing Council 2003-2006 E-mail: jralphb@easynet.co.uk Web: www.jralphb.co.uk

2. International Council for Science

4. UKFFoSTThe United Kingdom Federation for Food Science & TechnologyThe national federation of UK societies with interests in food science, food technology and food engineering

6. Institute of Food Science & Technology the UK-based professional qualifying body of food scientists and technologists –independent, democratic, not-for-profit, self-governing, self-funding

7. Institute of Food Science & Technology totally independent of government, of industry, and of any lobbying groups or special interest groups;

8. Institute of Food Science & Technology professional members elected on academic qualifications and relevant experience, and signed undertaking to comply with the Institute's ethical Code of Professional Conduct;

9. Institute of Food Science & Technology The first of its four purposes is: to serve the public interest by furthering the application of science and technology to all aspects of the supply of safe, wholesome, nutritious and attractive food, nationally and internationally.

10. Norman Borlaug Nobel Peace Prize Laureate "the first essential component of social justice is adequate food for all mankind." (Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, 1974)

11. The role of science Huge scope for the application of science and technology as a tool to contribute towards improvement in the quantity and quality of the world’s food supply.

12. Food insecurity 840 million people were undernourished in 1998-2000, of which 11 million were in the industrialized countries, 30 million in “countries in transition” and 799 million in developing countries. Source: United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report, 2002

13. Food insecurity " Hunger" is a complex not only of lack of quantity but of inadequate quality i.e. the lack of non-staple foods with the necessary nutrients and micronutrients, and of clean water, that are essential for reasonable nutrition and health.

14. Food insecurity Increasing the supply of food crops is achievable in three main ways: by increasing the amount that is grown; by reducing pre-harvest losses to plant diseases and pests; by reducing the amount of post-harvest losses. Science has an indispensable part to play in all three.

15. Food insecurity Improving the nutrient and micronutrient quality of food crops can only be achieved by science, primarily by genetic modification.

16. Food insecurity Science cannot address or solve the problems created by poverty, infrastructure of countries, wars, politics, corrupt governments. Hunger and malnutrition in many parts of the world cannot be solved by science alone, but certainly cannot be solved without the use of science.

17. Food insecurity

18. IUFoST IUFoST is the “United Nations”-type international body in which member countries are represented by their national food science and technology bodies (termed “Adhering Bodies”).

19. IUFoST’s 1995 Budapest Declaration Opening quotation: “We declare our determination to work for the elimination of hunger and the reduction of all forms of malnutrition throughout the world. We recognise that access to nutritionally adequate and safe food is the right of each individual.”

20. IUFoST’s 1995 Budapest Declaration Opening quotation (cont.): “We also declare our commitment to work with all other organisations to ensure sustained nutritional well-being for all people in a peaceful, just and environmentally safe world. In this endeavour, we recognise the central role of food science and technology in ensuring the year-round availability of the quantity and variety of safe and wholesome foods necessary to meet the nutritional needs of the world's growing population.”

21. IUFoST’s Task Forces Three IUFoST Task Forces for ongoing contributions to minimising food insecurity: Distance education in sub-Saharan Africa Rural communities and agro-industries in India Minimising post-harvest losses

22. The role of individuals Some food scientists and technologists in many developed countries, are working on projects for/within developing countries, either directly or supporting their former students who have returned there. Some in developing countries are working on projects within their own countries. Many have no opportunity to contribute in their working capacities.

23. The role of individuals Many such projects can be of direct value in helping to improve the supply of food and clean water in the relatively short-term. However, such projects exist in a piecemeal and uncoordinated way, and need to be collated and coordinated to deliver “added value”.

24. Is that enough? Shorter-term practical steps by IUFoST and by its adhering national food science societies ?

25. “Added value” measures? How can IUFoST and its adhering food science societies effectively contribute ongoing “added value” to the alleviation of a global problem that requires a complex of immediate (i.e. food aid), short-term and longer-term measures, and involving very much more than the role of science? ?

26. Collation and Co-ordination By collation and coordination on a world scale by IUFoST -- but only the individual adhering food science societies have the direct access and means to solicit their own members to input information about what relevant projects they are doing, into an IUFoST database. An IUFoST database?

27. An IUFoST Database? Resources to create and manage an IUFoST database? Is this type of information comprehensively on any existing database? No. Is there a database on a related topic?Yes. UN Food and Agriculture’s (FAO’s) INPhO.

28. INPhO Information Network on Post-Harvest Operations (INPhO) Modular mega-database run by FAO’s Agricultural and Engineering Services Department (AGST) Original scope widened -- covers production as well as post-harvest operations

29. IUFoST / FAO collaboration Discussions in Rome, April 2003 Agreement on a joint FAO/IUFoST module in INPhO on food science and technology projects in or for developing and transitional countries A win-win-win situation for FAO, for IUFoST and for the ultimate beneficiaries, people suffering from hunger and malnutrition Construction and preparations for launch

30. Role of Adhering Bodies Only the individual adhering food science societies have the direct access and means to solicit their own members to input information about what relevant projects they are doing, into an IUFoST database. A major responsibility, challenge and task for all such bodies including the two organizing this Symposium, IFT and IFST.

31. Role of Adhering Bodies (cont) In addition to national bodies soliciting their members, they will need to approach research institutions, aid agencies, university departments (not only food science but nutrition departments) and major industry research centres, in their respective countries. International aid agencies should be approached directly by IUFoST.

32. Benefits (1) For the first time, there would be organized worldwide knowledge of what scientists and technologists have been or are doing in relation to this crucially-important subject, and whereabouts in/for which developing countries.

33. Benefits (2) An appropriate IUFoST Task Force -- could see where the gaps are and draw attention to them; -- could put individuals, who are unknowingly working on similar projects in different developing countries, in touch with each other; -- could possibly "broker" the application of projects that have been/are being successful, to other developing countries where they could also be relevant.

34. Benefits (3) Harnessing in an organized way the potential of food science and technology to contribute in this respect, could also enthuse and encourage potential new entrants to food science and technology courses to embark on the path to a profession that is seen to be taking such a stance.

35. Benefits (Ultimate) A significant step to help those suffering from hunger and malnutrition and thereby contributing to fulfilment of the intention and promise of the Budapest Declaration

36. Institute of Food Science & TechnologyThe first of its four purposes is: to serve the public interest by furthering the application of science and technology to all aspects of the supply of safe, wholesome, nutritious and attractive food, nationally and internationally. What are the other three?

37. Institute of Food Science & TechnologyThe other three purposes are: (2) to advance the standing of food science and technology, both as a subject and as a profession; (3) to assist members in their career and personal development within the profession; (4) to uphold professional standards of competence and integrity

38. Institute of Food Science & Technologywww.ifst.org