Some of Queensland’s brightest young minds will try to solve the problems facing an increasingly hungry world, with some help from top experts.

Leading agriculture scientists from the University of Queensland and CSIRO will talk about the future of food at an upcoming global forum in Brisbane, hoping to generate some ideas that may one day feed a starving planet.

With around two-in-seven people currently undernourished, many developed countries continue to be excessively wasteful with food.

These two facts make the global food shortage one of the most pressing issues facing the planet, and one of the most difficult to tackle.

The Global Food Forum 2014 will discuss the issues and opportunities for Australian agriculture, which will arise from both the global population growth and the changing dietary habits of an expanding Asian middle-class.

UQ Professor Robert Henry, Director of the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), and Dr Brian Keating, Director of CSIRO’s Sustainable Agriculture Flagship, will address the forum as part of a panel discussion with students from years ten, 11 and 12.

UQ awarded Professor Henry a higher doctorate (DSc) for his work on analysis of variation in plants, while Dr Keating has authored more than 200 scientific papers covering diverse topics including soil and water management, plant nutrition, soil carbon and nitrogen cycling, crop physiology, farming systems analysis and design, bioenergy, simulation modelling, climatic risk management and food security.

The forum will be an excellent opportunity for students across a range of subjects, as it is geared to support curriculum learning in science, economics, geography, biology, earth and environmental science.

Other speakers will present on a range of relevant topics including agriculture and biosecurity, farm productivity and future food risks.

The forum is on in late February, more information is available here.