While “local food webs”, many of them ecological, will continue to feed most people in the world, “top-level processes" will grab the headlines. Some will culminate in 2012, including the UN Rio+20 conference and the launch of the ‘Green Economy'. Other UN processes, on the governance of food, biodiversity and climate change will continue to seek sustainable outcomes. In Europe, CAP reforms will be a hot topic. The UK will stage a global scientific event “Planet under Pressure” which will discuss solutions, at all scales, to move societies on to a sustainable pathway, providing scientific leadership towards Rio+20.

In this context, the session focused on how to change mindsets towards the benefits of ecological and equitable models of sustainable food production and consumption in the UK, Europe and Internationally. What opportunities exist for the UK's and the world's pressure groups to influence thinking and the outcomes? How can the small-scale food producers' policy proposal of food sovereignty take root – a proposal which addresses all aspects of sustainability?

The session ask questions about the UK's food footprint in its export of unsustainable models of production to other regions. Also questions about the UK's demands from other regions for commodities produced industrially using British technologies and products may be addressed. These are topics that are also likely to feature prominently in discussions in the run-up to the UK's 2013 Presidency of G8/G20.

All documents and  audio of interventations are availible here

Source | uk food group