THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY - HONG KONG

presents

a Gala Reception to welcome to Hong Kong

Sir Gordon Conway, FRS, KCMG

President of the Royal Geographical Society

followed by a lecture on

“The Doubly Green Revolution: How to feed the world in the 21st century”

on

Thursday, 22 November 2007

2/F Olympic House, So Kong Po, Causeway Bay

Gala Reception with complimentary canapé buffet 6.00 pm onwards; Lecture 7.30 pm

We are delighted and honoured to welcome the President of the Royal Geographical Society and world-famous scientist, Sir Gordon Conway, FRS, for a special gala reception followed by a lecture. Sir Gordon is lecturing on The Doubly Green Revolution: How to feed the world in the 21st century, perhaps the ultimate issue of all the environmental lectures of the RGS this year.

The first Green Revolution was the worldwide transformation of agriculture that led to significant increases in agricultural production between the 1950s and 1970s. This transformation occurred as the result of programmes of agricultural research, extension and infrastructural development, instigated and largely funded by major agencies and universities worldwide. The Green Revolution in agriculture helped food production to keep pace with worldwide population growth, or perhaps in many ways allowed the tripling of the earth’s population. It has had major social and ecological impacts.

But now, as a result of a plethora of environmental issues and population growth, the world is facing a global food crisis. Cereal and other prices are at their highest for many years and this is unlikely to be a temporary blip. Growing populations in South America, Africa and Asia, growing demand for biofuel crops and for livestock products are all increasing prices and in due course inevitably leading to shortages. On top of this is the threat of climate change marked by increasing floods and droughts, which may even reduce agricultural production in some areas.

Sir Gordon argues that today we need a new revolution, but one that is not only productive, but equitable and environmentally friendly. This lecture, by the world’s greatest expert and thinker about what is probably the most important issue of all for the world - how to feed itself going forward - describes the challenges and some of the solutions, involving both technologies and markets.