The Global Food Security programme (GFS) has appointed a champion to take on the key role of co-ordinator and spokesperson for the group.

Professor Tim Benton, from the University of Leeds, is an interdisciplinary scientist whose work focuses on the relationship between food production and the environment. He will take up the post of Global Food Security Champion at the start of November.

GFS brings together the UK’s main public funders of food security related research to coordinate efforts and deliver added-value from their collective activities in this area.

Benton will drive forward co-ordination of research activities, as well as contributing leadership and networking to the programme. This will give a boost to food security research, helping to link funders, the research community, public and users of research.

Professor Benton’s career to date has been in academia, funded largely by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). He is involved in sustainable agriculture projects both in the UK and abroad and is director of The Africa College Partnership.

Benton said “Ensuring that there is sufficient food to meet the challenge of feeding nine billion people by 2050, and that it is produced in an environmentally sustainable way, is one of biggest challenges we face. I’m delighted to be playing a key part in ensuring an effective, coordinated approach to meet this challenge.”

Professor Janet Allen, speaking on behalf of the Global Food Security programme coordination group, said: “We are looking forward to welcoming Professor Benton to this role. It is vital that we deploy the knowledge, skill, and resources we have in the UK to feed a growing population and we must do so rapidly and efficiently.”