LibGuides: VCE Food Studies: Global food security

Global Food Security - General Resources

Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (Commonwealth)
National Farmers Federation website
Source of information on how farmers are invested in areas such as R&D, infrastructure networks, production and trade in order to address global food security.
Food security and global farming - CSIRO
Provides examples of how the CSIRO are creating innovative solutions for sustainable farming to provide enough nutritious food for the world's population.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) website
A wealth of statistics, information and programs about achieving food security through food systems, sustainable food and agriculture and innovations in these areas
Path to Zero Hunger by 2020 - FAO
This graphic identifies a number of trends, challenges and priority actions along a path towards Zero Hunger by 2030, the end date of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Zero Hunger is Goal 2 of 17 Sustainable Development Goals)
The state of food security and nutrition in the world 2019 (Report) – FAO
Recent report which monitors the progress towards global food security by measuring the prevalence of undernourishment and food insecurity of different countries/regions
World Food Programme website
Website for the humanitarian organisation which contributes to the global goal of Zero Hunger, which aims to end hunger, achieve food security, improve food nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture by 2030. Program information and reports on focus areas such as climate action, nutrition and sustainable livelihoods and ecosystems can be found on this website.

Community gardens and urban agriculture

Food is Free Ballarat
Food Is Free Inc. is a grassroots, community led not-for-profit group benefiting all Ballarat citizens with a focus on those experiencing disadvantage and has a core purpose of assisting and promoting food security and community cohesion and inclusion.

Can urban agriculture reduce food insecurity for the urban poor? - Sydney Environment Institute
Opinion piece with links to community initiatives which support the concept
Urban farming: Feeding the future? Podcast - Sydney Environment Institute
Podcast about the potential of urban farming to deliver healthy and safe food to cities, as well as addressing some of the challenges posed. (45 mins)
Australian City Farms and Community Gardens Network website
Community organisation which connects Australia's city farms and community gardens.
Gardening and food security (article) - Sustainable Gardening Australia

Insects as a food source

Insect bites: Australia's emerging insect-farming sector (Landline segment, 2018). (17 mins).

Foods of tomorrow: Insects and plant protein (Catalyst segment, 2018) (10 mins.).

The contribution of insects to food security, livelihoods and the environment - FAO
Factsheet on how edible insects can contribute to food security, the benefits of insects as food, gathering and farming insects, creating an insect food culture and what steps are needed to progress the area
Edible insects as a means to address global malnutrition and food security issues - Journal of Food Quality and Safety
Journal article which examines nutritional quality, environmental and economic impacts, and consumer acceptance of insects as a food source
Edible insects contributing to food security? - Agriculture and Food Security (journal)
Addresses nutrition, farming, processing and marketing, food safety, consumer acceptance and what needs to be done to progress the industry
Why aren't we eating more insects? - New York Times
Magazine article about why the idea of eating insects has been rejected to date in the West.
Insects, fungi and algae — climate-friendly foods that could be headed to your dinner plate - TED
An article on growing unconventional foods as a way of future-proofing diets while reducing emissions.

Table banking

Food security: Kenyan women turning the tables on traditional banking and land ownership (article)
How table banking is empowering Kenyan women in agriculture through access to credit and land so they can to contribute to sustainable food security in their communities

JoyWo Table Banking explained - Jouful Women Organisation (4 min).

Lab-grown, cultured or 3D printed meat

Interview with Sunfed foods creator, Shama Lee, about the meat-free meat products made from plant protein. (5 min)

Lab-grown burger with the lot: Can we make meat more humane, and less polluting? - ABC News
Discusses the benefits and the science behind lab-grown meat
Lab-grown meat industry start-ups join Australian market to tackle issues of mass production - ABC News
Time to re-wet the desert and grow meat in a lab - The Weekly Times
Article arguing for a new food production infrastructure system in Australia over the next decade

Vertical farming

Easing food supply concerns
Article on Sprout Stack, Australia's only commercial-scale vertical farm.

Vertical farm systems (Landline segment, 2018) (15 mins).

Tour inside a vertical farm to see the technology behind, and benefits of, vertical farming.

Are indoor vertical farms the future of agriculture? TEDTalk by Stuart Oda (10 min).

Food security: vertical farming sounds fantastic until you consider its energy use - The Conversation
Questions whether vertical farming - at this stage - is actually a sustainable method of agriculture