Lessons from the past: archaeology, anthropology and the future of food, Oxford

The Oxford Martin Future of Food Programme and The British Museum is hosting a one day conference on the 23rd August 2018, at the Oxford Martin School, Oxford

 

Today’s challenge of feeding an ever increasing population requires a whole food systems approach to agricultural and food security research, in order to deliver productive, resilient and sustainable food and farming. The environmental challenges posed by agriculture are huge, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, localised pollution, and water, forest, land and biodiversity loss. Conversely, climate change, water scarcity, rising global temperatures, and extreme weather will also have severe long-term effects on agricultural production.

 

Archaeological, historical, and anthropological research are all underdeveloped resources in modern agricultural sustainability studies, but are tools well-suited to investigating food security and agricultural development over time under different challenges.  The study of subsistence systems from the ancient past through to the last century can provide insight into future agricultural resilience by exploring the role, value and cultivation of local food crops in parts of the world where  dramatic changes are seen. Local information about changing agrobiodiversity and long-term regional crop histories can add essential value and context to debates concerning future agricultural strategies and interventions, especially around new crop introductions or utilising ‘forgotten’ or increasingly underused cereals and pulses. 

 

This conference brings together leading researchers and practitioners to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns as well as practical challenges encountered and solutions adopted in the field of global food security. 

 

 

The conference is organised by Dr Kelly Reed (The Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Food) and Dr Philippa Ryan (The British Museum, in collaboration with the Subsistence and sustainability [AHRC] and Nubian traditional knowledge and agricultural resilience [ARHC and GCRF]  projects.)

 

Please send any enquiries to futureoffood@oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk 

 

Follow us: #ArchAnthFutureFood 

 

Programme

Registration will open at 9.30am and the event will be held from 10-5pm with a drinks reception, sponsored by the Association of Environmental Archaeology, till 6pm.

 

The programme can be viewed here

 

Registration

Registration is now closed

 

                              

The conference is organised by Dr Kelly Reed (The Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Food) and Dr Philippa Ryan (The British Museum). Please send any enquiries to futureoffood@oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk Lessons from the past:

a

rchaeology

,

anthropology

and the

f

uture of

f

ood

O

ne

day

conference

23

rd

August 2018

Lectur

e Theatre, Oxford Martin School

, University of Oxford

34 Broad Street (corner of Holywell and Catte Streets), Oxford, OX1 3BD

Today’s challenge of feeding an ever increasing population requires a whole food systems approach

to agricultural and food security research, in order to deliver productive, resilient and sustainable

food and farming. The environmental challenges posed by

agriculture are huge,

contributing to

greenhouse gas emissions,

localised pollution,

and water,

forest, land and biodiversity loss.

Conversely, climate change, water scarcity, rising global temperatures, and extreme weather will

also have severe long

-

term

effects on agricultural production.

Archaeological

,

historical

,

and anthropological

research

are all

underdeveloped resource

s

in modern

agricultural sustainability

studies

,

but

are

tool

s

well

-

suited

to

investigating

food security and

agricultural developme

nt over time under different challenges.

The study of

subsistence systems

from the ancient past through

to

the last century can provide insight into future agricultural

resilience

by exploring

the role

, value

and cultivation of local food crops

in

parts of the world where

dramatic changes

are seen

. Local information about changing agrobiodiversity

and

long

-

term

regional crop histories can add essential value and context to debates concerning future agricultural

strategies

and interventions, especia

lly around new crop introductions or utilising ‘forgotten’ or

increasingly underused

cereals and pulses

.

The day

conference brings together leading researchers and practitioners to present and discuss the

most recent innovations, trends, and concerns as well

as practical challenges encountered and

solutions adopted in the field of global food security.

The conference is organised by Dr Kelly Reed (

The Oxford Martin Programme

on

t

he Future o

f Food

)

and Dr Philippa Ryan (The British Museum).

Please send any enqu

iries to

futureoffood@oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk