Food Security

About

According to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, billion of tons of fertile soil disappear each year and over the next twenty years, the world will need 50% more food, 40% more energy and 35% more water to keep pace with the growing population. Recognizing the unique challenges of an increasingly globalized food system, Georgetown University has assembled a uniquely qualified team of organizations with expertise across the spectrum of the entire food production, processing, distribution and consumption life cycle.

The Team

Campden BRI brings unparalleled knowledge, experience and relationships with commercial firms in the food industry as well as highly sophisticated research facilities and comprehensive educational and training capabilities. Cranfield University leads the world in the study of agrifood from pre-harvest to marketing and the application of informatics to the understanding of food. CABi is dedicated to assisting farmers in the developing world to better understand and combat invasive species and other plant pests. The University of Maryland, Eastern Shore brings precision agriculture to the team through the technology of remote sensing and big data. Georgetown offers special capabilities in providing access, analysis and use of global data about food with its world-recognized expertise in international affairs. With this team, we are organizing both research and educational activities.  From a research perspective, we are applying the AvesTerra framework to develop the capability to analyze global food supply chains, including data sources, analytic models and user tools to understand the dynamic impact of a range of conditions from climate change to civil unrest on the flow of food across the globe.  From an educational perspective we are developing professional training programs that will enable food professionals to employ advanced food informatics tools to better understand their firm’s business, the food industry, and the global food situation.     

Outcomes

Work in progress.