ALLFED   Alliance to Feed the Earth in Disasters

How does everyone get enough food, in the event of a global catastrophe that impacts  food  production?

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At the heart of the global economy, sunlight is the driving force behind our food production and supply. If we were to suddenly experience a nuclear winter, supervolcanic eruption, or an asteroid impact, how would we feed everyone? This is  the question ALLFED are trying to answer.
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Based on current research there is an estimated 10% chance of a complete  loss  of food production  capability this century.  The UK Government also estimates that there is a 80% chance of floods and droughts on multiple continents causing  a 10% global shortfall of food production capability this century.

Our current focus is on shocks affecting  global food production and encouraging planning and  preparedness and furthering research into risks and technical and human solutions  which may help to save many millions of lives, especially in developing countries  in   the event of a global catastrophe such as those outlined below.
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Following a comet impact, supervolcanic eruption, or nuclear winter an estimated 50% of the sun’s visible light would be  blocked by atmospheric ash. The blocking of sunlight would result in a 10 degree celsius temperature   drop globally.

​Due to increased upper atmospheric temperatures, excess UV rays are allowed to penetrate the ash cloud and reach the surface of the Earth. 

Possible Scenarios

Asteroid / Comet Impact

NASA is currently monitoring hundreds of potentially hazardous extraterrestrial bodies through their Near Earth Object Program. According to NASA, 90% of all NEO's have been discovered. Current data shows that although no major impacts are predicted in the next few hundred years, this could change with new information, especially with comets.​

Super Volcano

​The scientific term for a supervolcano is a Caldera. A supervolcano is defined as any volcano that can produce at least 10^15 Kg of ejecta.  Of special interest to scientists is the Yellowstone Caldera, which, while  unpredictable, is a constant threat.  There  are five  other  known Calderas on Earth.
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Nuclear War

​In the event that a nuclear war occurs between warring nations involving a large number of warheads,  immense firestorms would introduce of many tons of soot into the atmosphere, potentially causing the sun to be blocked out for up to a decade or more.
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Images courtesy unsplash.com,