As I write this, a sobering warning from the UN Secretary-General I heard on the radio this morning continues to nag me mentally.
The war in Ukraine – a country long dubbed ‘Europe’s breadbasket’, thanks to its 42 million hectares of ultra-rich agricultural land that powers (or, rather, used to power) a thriving grain and fertiliser export industry – has resulted in a global food crisis that could last for years if left untackled. The conflict, combined with post-Covid supply issues and rising temperatures, threatens ‘to tip tens of millions of people over the edge into food insecurity’. So says António Guterres. Those of us lucky enough to have full plates and stomachs, meanwhile, are only too aware of the sharply rising cost of comestibles, as inflation hits rates not seen in over 40 years. Food for thought, indeed.
Apt then, to chew the cud with a select number of architects and designers
