Can we have it all from the land?

Dustin Benton, Green Alliance

Over the past half decade, the UK has set a net zero goal and nature restoration targets, both of which require very substantial land use change. However, the UK uses 70% of its land surface, and an equivalent area overseas, to produce the food we eat. On the face of it, the UK is headed for land use conflict, and it is not alone: most countries face the same climate-nature-food challenge.

This talk, which draws on analysis done for in the National Food Strategy and subsequent work done at Green Alliance, a leading UK environmental think tank, will show how land use in the UK and other European countries can change to give us everything we want from land, and what trade-offs policymakers will have to make to enable land to change rapidly enough to meet our goals.

Background

I was the chief analytical advisor for Henry Dimbleby’s National Food Strategy, and, with my team, have subsequently built a set of land use models that allow us to construct scenarios that meet net zero, restore nature to different levels, meet dietary and import/export preferences, model bioenergy demand, and quantify the costs of doing it all.

The lecture will be followed by an drinks reception and everyone is welcome

The Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery and Biodiversity Network are interested in promoting a wide variety of views and opinions on nature recovery from researchers and practitioners.
The views, opinions and positions expressed within this lecture are those of the author alone, they do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery/Biodiversity Network, or their researchers.

 

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