Could you help make a sustainable future a reality?

Food security is one of the most critical issues facing our planet today, especially in developing countries.

There is no surprise that this issue features in the UN sustainable development targets for priority attention at the global scale.

Developing communities all over the globe are impacted by food shortages. Food prices are rising, the nutritional quality of the food available is often insufficient, supply chain disruptions and in some cases, conflict, all cause nutritional deficits, and less developed countries always experience more of an impact. 

Climate change is set to exacerbate these issues further. Research shows that yields of major food staples such as grains, fruits and vegetables are expected to decrease by between 3% and 10% per degree of warming. Temperatures are rising year on year, there is increased variability in climate and more frequent extreme events affecting crop yields. This, alongside parallel environmental challenges of biodiversity loss, soil degradation and fresh water supply constraints, means it is vital that we act now to make sustainable and equitable supplies of food for all.

People across the world could soon see everyday foods becoming more scarce and more expensive. This will affect those who are most vulnerable who may be unable to access adequate, nutritious and affordable food for themselves and their families.” - Professor Nitya Rao, Director for the Norwich Institute for Sustainable Development

That’s why we’re bringing together experts from different fields to create a brand new centre of excellence for sustainable development research.

The Norwich Institute for Sustainable Development 

The Norwich Institute for Sustainable Development is deepening collaborations between world-leading research centres across the Norwich Research Park (NRP), leveraging expertise in international development, business, crop sciences, environmental sciences, food and nutritional health.

Together, our experts are pioneering new ways of supporting food security and sustainability, helping to tackle issues of malnutrition and hunger across the globe. Working closely with farmers in the developing world, we are innovating across the food and farming system and supporting local communities to feed themselves and provide for their livelihoods.

At UEA, and with our partners at the John Innes Centre and others on the NRP, we are already world leaders in agritech, plant genomics and international development. In NISD we come together with unrivalled expertise, academic insight across subjects and experience of engaging with farmers to meet the challenge of feeding the world sustainably and equitably.

But we urgently need your help to raise the funds necessary to support the research challenge this entails

How you can help

A gift today could help develop a new drought-tolerant crop to secure food supplies against climate change and ensure communities don't go hungry. Or it could help us find ways to develop the latest agricultural technologies with the communities that need it most. Your support can make a real difference to millions of lives around the world. 

There are thousands of bright people out there waiting to make their mark on the world. Unlocking their potential could transform our research and help us solve these pressing problems. We therefore urgently need to generate MSc scholarships, PhD studentships, post-doctoral research posts and core sponsors of research lines and conferences. In a time when our budgets are under more strain than ever before because of the pandemic, we look to the world’s philanthropists, corporations and charities to help us achieve a sustainable future.

If you would like to find out more, or to discuss making a major donation, please contact the Development Office at giving@uea.ac.uk   

You can also make a donation online today.

Donate now