Can we feed nine billion?

Wednesday 04 November, 18.30-20.30
The Library, The Chemistry Centre, Burlington House

Uncover the truth behind the scare stories with Dr John Emsley in this talk about one of the greatest challenges facing humankind.

Already we have reached a world population of almost 6.8 billion. With the population expanding by about 80,000 people per day, we will reach a population of 9 billion by the middle of this century. But how can we feed them? Can we afford to cultivate more land? Could we make crops more productive? Or could we find ways of defeating pests and diseases that decimate crop yields? 

Leading author, writer and broadcaster Dr John Emsley, formerly of University of Cambridge and Imperial College London, will take you on a fascinating journey through the range of possible solutions that science can offer, debunking some food myths and scare stories that have recently dominated headlines.