Writing in the Scotsman on Saturday, Professor Tim Lang warned Scots that our food system must change, and that some compromises will have to be made.

Lang, Sustainable Development Commissioner and Professor of Food Policy at City University, outlined 8 features of the “20th century food revolution” whose fundamentals are now under threat:

1. The availability of cheap energy for agricultural production and distribution is under threat
2. Food prices are now rising due to pressure from increases in population, affluence and pressure from biofuels
3. Population is rising, increasing the demand for food
4. Urbanization continues, decreasing the labour available for rural agricultural production
5. Available productive land may decrease as climate change continues
6. Water resources are under increasing pressure
7. Food production is a significant contributor to climate change
8. As people become more affluent, their diets tend to change, having an impact on the dynamics of global food production

Lang concludes by reminding readers that:

Food is built into our culture and economy, so there is no short fix – no omelette can be made without breaking eggs!

Read the full article here.

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