US-UK Scientific Forum

Sustainable Agriculture 

The US-UK Scientific Forum is intended to facilitate and encourage long lasting relationships between US and UK science and technology leaders, policymakers and other key stakeholders on globally critical topics.

The US-UK Scientific Forum on Sustainable Agriculture took place at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC on 5-6 March, 2020.

Forum Summary

Following this Forum meeting, a summary of the discussion has been published, which highlights the latest science and outlines future research and policy priorities. 'The Challenge of Feeding the World Sustainably: Summary of the US-UK Scientific Forum on Sustainable Agriculture' is available to download or read online on the National Academy of Sciences' website.

Scientific Forum

The Sustainable Agriculture Forum brought together scientists, policymakers and research funders for a collaborative discussion around how to achieve sustainable agriculture. Topics included: how to ensure that we have a food system that delivers a wide range of desired outcomes; the role of technology in delivering this system; the role of broader changes to our food system to ensure sustainability, e.g. reducing food waste, dietary change, other behavioural and policy changes, and attracting the next generation of agricultural researchers and workers. The meeting discussed research priorities and investment, and policy direction.

The Forum was organised by a committee of distinguished researchers in the field, composed of:

• Pete Smith FRS, University of Aberdeen (co-chair)
• Sue Wessler ForMemRS, University of California (co-chair)
• Tim Benton, Chatham House
• Ottoline Leyser FRS, University of Cambridge
• Greg Lowry, Carnegie Mellon University
• Susan McCouch, Cornell University
• Jules Pretty, University of Essex
• David Tilman, University of Minnesota & University of California

The aims of this Forum were to: 

• Build new opportunities for international collaboration on this topic
• Highlight and discuss the latest research findings related to how sustainable agriculture can enable positive change
• Identify research gaps and future research priorities relating to sustainable agriculture
• Draw on research in this field to identify potential solutions to international policy challenges

Video recordings of the Forum event are available on the National Academy of Sciences' website.