Greater intervention from governments will be key in preventing western societies from continuing to over-indulge and waste food, and ensuring developing nations get their fair share.

That was the view of panel members talking at last week’s City Food Lecture. Harriet Lamb, director of the Fairtrade Foundation, told delegates: “It was Gandhi who said: ‘The world has enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for everyone’s greed’. Most of our food is too cheap, and we need a radical change in the modern rich world’s consumption patterns. But Fairtrade products and free-range meat are rising in popularity, showing people’s willingness to make sure there is enough around for others.”

But Lord Haskins, ex-chairman of Northern Foods, was less optimistic that the west is ready to abandon its over-consumption just yet. “I am pessimistic that the contraction of western demand will happen readily. We have to share the world with our neighbours and have got to do this in an equitable way. Western governments have got to keep building pressure on the public to realise this, but at the same time make sure they do not get too far ahead of public opinion, as they will then lose votes.

“The richer parts of the world have got to make their markets more accessible to the rest of the world, and vice versa. Prices of food are so high now, it is a fantastic opportunity to become more generous towards farmers in the developing world,” he added.

Professor David Harvey of Newcastle University said: “As energy supplies get shorter and governments start to tax energy users, the rich 20 per cent of the world will survive easily - but the remaining 80 per cent will not. The problem really comes down to governance. The private sector has delivered R&D into GM and other scientific issues for the developed world, but can it now see the economical advantage in distributing the benefits of this research to the developing world?”

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