Foresight’s role is to help government think systematically about the future. We use the latest scientific and other evidence combined with futures analysis to tackle complex issues and help policymakers make decisions affecting our future.
Our work makes a critical contribution to meeting important challenges of the 21st century - such as food security, flooding, and obesity.
- Foresight Projects are in-depth studies examining major issues 20-80 years in the future.
- The Foresight Horizon Scanning Centre does short projects looking at discrete issues across the entire public policy spectrum.
- Our Toolkits and Networks look to strengthen futures thinking capacity and share best practice within and across government.
Foresight reports directly to the Government Chief Scientific Adviser and the Cabinet Office. It is a part of the Government Office for Science within the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills.
Latest news
29 January 2010: The Challenge of Feeding 9 Billion People
Government Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor John Beddington and experts from the Foresight project Global Food and Farming Futures have set out five strategies to combat the problem of how to feed a growing global population in the international journal Science. The population is expected to rise to 9 billion by 2050, more than 30 percent higher than today. Professor John Beddington outlined how world food production can be increased in an interview with the Today Programme on BBC radio 4.
Listen again on the BBC site.