How are we going to solve this global problem?
We got a glimpse into how this might play out through the Food Chain Reaction Game. On Nov. 9 and 10, Thomson Reuters came together with event organizers
Cargill, CNA, Mars, World Wildlife Fund and the Center for American Progress in Washington DC for a simulation. The ‘game’ was set between 2020 and 2030, and consisted of four rounds of collaboration between teams looking at how the public and private sectors might respond as climate change impacts the world’s growing population and our food supply chain.
The eight teams included high level decision-makers from India, China, the EU, Brazil, Continental Africa, the U.S., multilateral institutions, as well as businesses and investors. An adjudication cell group of industry experts and academics set a baseline scenario in which
the global food chain came under strong but realistic stress from 2020 to 2030. They were tasked with judging how the team responses would affect the trajectory of the global food chain during this period of stress.
Game on
We sent two people to the games: Kris Carlson (Global Head of Agriculture) participated on the business and investors team, and Corey Cherr (Head of Agriculture & Weather Research and Forecasts) was a member of the judging group.
Play consisted of several rounds. Teams decided their actions and policy responses to the baseline scenario, and were free to negotiate agreements or develop multilateral strategies to manage food chain disruption. Just like in the real world, leaders were forced to come to agreement on their reaction to the events across the course of the baseline scenario.
Through each round the teams were assessed on how well their responses mitigated or aggravated the developing stress on the global food system, as well as their trade-offs and cascading effects on security and resource availability.
Food security affects everyone and we’re there with the answers
Notable attendees during the game included former democratic senate majority leader Tom Daschle and keynote speaker John Podesta. Mr. Podesta served as chief of staff to President Clinton and currently leading the 2016 presidential campaign for Hillary Clinton.
Mr. Podesta and Mr. Daschle both consider the food supply chain to be one of our most important global concerns for the future. The connection of food security to political stability and avoidance of social unrest ultimately affect everyone in society. Thomson Reuters is committed to understanding and reporting on potential impacts to our supply chains. As the answer company, customers look to Thomson Reuters for how specific events will affect world markets and global security. Our in-depth research and data helps them manage risk in advance and prepare for a wide variety of scenarios.
The Food Chain Reaction game provided deeper understanding into how countries and organizations could react to future events, but the world cannot manage its global food supply, resource and security without transparent information. In agriculture, Thomson Reuters plays a very important role in the world by providing transparency through our pricing, news, and research and forecast services. The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles [Link] guide us to produce independent, unbiased global production forecasts and news on key agricultural production areas. Our view matters and our involvement in events such as this exemplifies our leadership as the commodities information provider to the world. Stay tuned to the Hub for more information and some key findings from the Food Chain Reaction game. In January 2016, game organizers including researchers from CNA will release key findings and learnings from the game. Learn more about the Food Chain Reaction game here:
http://foodchainreaction.org/
Discover more about our work in this area through our multimedia report
9 Billion Bowls. There is hope for the future in
7 Reasons the World will be Sustainable.