The 2010 IFST lecture, Science and Skills to Feed the World - who, how and where?

The 2010 IFST lecture, Science and Skills to Feed the World - who, how and where? was presented by David Gregory, Chair of Assured Food Standards, on May 27 at The Royal Society.  The IFST lecture, launched in 1986, provides a forum where distinguished speakers are invited to explore and examine key scientific or policy topics relating to the future development of the food chain. The high-profile audience is drawn from a wide range of stakeholder groups including manufacturers, regulators, food professionals and public bodies in the scientific community.

In his lecture, David Gregory explored some of the key issues faced by the food industry.  The industry is of major importance to the UK economy and has also grown in complexity over the last 30 years as it sought to give consumers an increasingly diverse choice of safe, healthy products.  As a result, food technologists today must embrace an ever wider range of disciplines that are now deployed across the whole food supply chain. There is also an increasing need to engage with an often scientific illiterate public on the use of new technologies, such as genetic engineering and nanotechnology.  Such increasing complexity means that today’s employees must keep updating their skills in order for the sector to stay ahead. He urged those working in the sector today to support professional development for their employees, and to embrace all formats for learning whether offered are work-based or off-site, and to do so throughout the working life of employees. 

“The Food Industry has a critically important role to play in helping to tackle many complex emerging challenges, including for example, the potentially far-reaching impacts of climate chain and of obesity, and it must ensure that its workforce can acquire and apply essential new skills to respond to these and other pressing issues”

If you missed David Gregory’s lecture, or want to hear some highlights from the event, please listen to our podcast.