Leaders from the research, government, industry and nonprofit sectors gathered at the University of California, Davis this week during the Energy-Food Water Dialogue conference to lay the groundwork for a comprehensive roadmap that will position the nation to realize opportunities amid a looming global “resource revolution.”
By 2020, the world’s population will have increased by almost 1 billion people. By 2030, global demand for water is expected to grow by 30 percent, food supplies must increase by 50 percent to keep pace with population growth, and energy demand is expected to increase by more than 53 percent.
“These pressures have the potential to trigger an innovation wave as important as those that contributed to the creation of steam power and the Internet,” Katehi said. “Catching this wave will demand the engagement of stakeholders from industry, government and academia.”
Said Wince-Smith: “Competing in the 21st century will require a national strategy that bridges the public and private sectors, recognizes the implications of the energy-food-water nexus, and optimizes the nation’s resilience, sustainability and innovation capacity.”
At the conference, attendees explored how science and technology may help meet future resource demands and discussed policy implications regarding the intersections of food, water and energy. Read more.
Posted November 2, 2012