Information

Food security is a global issue which affects us all. From production to supply, feeding a rapidly expanding population requires cutting edge technology and complex logistical networks. The Food Security and Land Research Alliance is applying the latest research across the agricultural sciences and social sciences to addressing this challenge.

Professor Sarah Gurr has recently joined the Alliance as Chair in Food Security, and she will be sharing her thoughts on food security research and specifically the role of fungi. Fungal pathogens are a major threat to global ecosystems, accounting for billions of pounds of lost or damaged crops every year. Over 80 countries are affected by just one pathogen, rice blast fungus, which has a huge effect both on the agricultural economy and ecosystem health. Set within the context of agricultural technology, Sarah will outline how research taking place at Exeter is helping to improve our understanding of ecosystems. The evening also provides the opportunity to hear the latest news about food security research at Exeter and in the South West.

The evening is open to all with an interest in food security developments, and offers the opportunity to find out more about the research programme. The Food Security and Land Research Alliance is a collaboration between the Universities of Exeter, Bath and Bristol and Rothamsted Research (BBSRC).

Programme

Profile: Professor Sarah Gurr

Professor Sarah Gurr is a world-renowned scholar and member of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. She is Chair in Food Security at the University of Exeter, a joint role which is hosted at Rothamsted Research’s Integrated Farm Platform. The Farm Platform was launched in May 2012, and it is used for landscape-wide systems biology studies for sustainable agriculture and agri-ecosystems science. Sarah was previously Chair in Molecular Plant Pathology at the University of Oxford.

The Food Security and Land Research Alliance

The Food Security and Land Research Alliance brings together world-class expertise across a range of disciplines, from biosciences to agricultural science to economics and the humanities.  It was launched in October 2011, and is establishing the South West of England as a centre of global significance in food security and land research.

To find out more, please visit www.fslra.ac.uk. 

Registration

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