Professor Tim Lang from City University London has called for the development of food “omni-standards” that incorporate considerations such as healthiness, the environment and social responsibility in a single rating.
The concept would require major scientific input and the assessment of data from different scientific disciplines in a process similar to that used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
His comments were made as part of a debate - Where will all the food come from? - at the BA Festival of Science 2008.
Lang argues that more attention to this issue from scientists and policy-makers is urgently needed.
He said: “Whilst governments continue to let the market take its course, ill-informed consumer choices are contributing to massive crises in human health, food security and environmental degradation. We need to develop the capability to integrate the finding from different scientific disciplines - and a constant process of updating and improving scientific advice - ultimately we need something akin to the IPCC.”
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