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UK Launches Science Initiative for Resilient Crops
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a new science initiative that has been established, during the Global Food Security Summit in London. The initiative aims to develop flood-tolerant rice, disease-resistant wheat, and other resilient crops to address the challenges posed by climate change.
Sunak has stated the need for a fundamental change in food security for long-term solutions. Leveraging science and technology they want to ensure the resilience of food supplies against threats like conflict, drought, and floods.
The U.K. plans to create a "virtual science hub" as part of the global research partnership CGIAR. The online platform will help international researchers connect and work on resilient crops. Sunak urged world leaders to harness artificial intelligence and technology to combat global malnutrition.
The summit, co-hosted by Somalia and the United Arab Emirates with the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, coincided with the publication of the U.K.'s development strategy, which is aimed at ending extreme poverty and addressing climate change and biodiversity loss by 2030.
The U.K. affirmed its commitment to aid plans through 2030 but stated that it would not restore development aid to 0.7% of gross national income, as it was reduced to 0.5% during the pandemic, until the fiscal situation allows.
Instead, the U.K. plans to spend smarter, focusing on strengthening defenses against natural disasters, raising private-sector funds, and building respectful relationships with developing nations.
The summit faced criticism from activists picketing outside the Lancaster House conference venue, calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war to facilitate urgent humanitarian aid into Gaza.
The chief executive of Medical Aid for Palestinians emphasized the dire situation in Gaza, where a siege has limited aid, leaving 2.2 million people at risk of starvation. While the U.K. did not call for a cease-fire, Sunak urged Israel to agree to "urgent and substantive humanitarian pauses" to allow the delivery of food, fuel, and medicine into Gaza.