Professor Sir John Beddington is, according to Wikipedia, a scientist.  In fact, Professor Sir John Beddington is the highest-ranking scientist in the UK; the job I'm referring to is: "Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK."  I recently came across a speech he delivered at a GovNet event in March of this year.  GovNet?  Apparently they are "UK's leading Public Sector publisher and events organiser," according to themselves.  (The particular event was called SDUK 2009.)  So, earlier this year, the most influential scientist in the UK addressed an event organized by the leading events organizer, which presumably was attended by people who like going to events where eminent persons take the podium.  Point being, this is not some middle school assembly.  

The speech, by and large was spot-on.  He explained the point which has garnered him much attention, which is this: lurking in near futurity are crises of food, of water, and of energy, and in addressing them all, we also must deal with the fact of man-made climate change. (Adapting to it, quite frankly, seems like our only option now.)  When Sir John Beddingtons speaks, the world should listen.  

But not too closely.

In the middle of his speech, as he summed up the food crisis, Beddington said, "We've got to somehow produce 50% more [food] by [2030]."

But he's wrong.

What we "need" to do in 2030, just like what we "need" to do in 2009, is to feed everyone.  We produce plenty of food; that's not the problem.

It’s the distribution, not the production, that’s the problem.

In fact, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the Stockholm International Water Institute and the International Water Management Institute authored a policy paper in August of 2008 entitled "Saving Water: From Field to Fork - Curbing Losses and Wastage in the Food Chain," in which they show that 50% of the food we produce is wasted.   50%!  Unbelievable.  What we need to do is not produce more; we need to drastically change the distribution.  And we need our influential experts to recognize the difference between the two.

Now, for all I know, Professor Sir John Beddington agrees with me.  How could he not?  But that’s not the point.  

In times like these, when game-changing legislation is imminent, and when it will likely shape our world for the next 100 years or more, those people in positions like “Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK” owe it to all of humanity not to misspeak.  And I can only assume that he did misspeak, because the alternative—that he actually believes what he said—bodes unbearably bad for the prospect of the planet.    

Professor Sir John Beddington, if you hope to remedy the state of the world, you must first remedy the statement you made in March.  Clarify the difference between production and distribution: what you meant to say, and what you have the chance to say next year at SDUK 2010, is that we need to figure out a way to feed everybody.  People will listen to you, Sir, as they should.  

Indeed, the food, water and energy crises are enormous challenges.  And coupled with those brought about by global warming, the deck is stacked against us.  Professor Sir Beddington, you have the power to change the way we play our hand, and it begins by choosing your words carefully.  For the good of all humanity, let’s not mince them.