O UR generation is lucky. Most of us have never known food shortages or experienced serious hunger. As a result, we rarely give that much thought to food security. It's just always there, in our local shop or café or on the supermarket shelves.

It may not, however, always be that way. Growth in the world's population means there will be billions more mouths to feed, and global food demand is expected to increase by half by 2030. At the same time, the amount of land for growing crops is dwindling. If serious food shortages arise, people on the other side of the world are unlikely to want to send their food to us.

The UK imports 40 per cent of its annual food requirements. If imports dried up, could we as a country – and indeed could Bristol as a city – still get enough to eat?

That was one of the questions asked by a recently-launched study called Who Feeds Bristol?, commissioned by NHS Bristol. The report is the first comprehensive study of a city food system done in the UK, looking at where Bristol's food comes from and how it is distributed.

The report finds that, during the 20th Century, the involvement of ordinary people with food has declined. Our system of farming, distribution, processing and retail has become highly mechanised, operating largely beyond public view.

And although around one in every ten jobs in Bristol is related to food and drink, these jobs are largely in retail, catering and the hospitality sector, rather than actually growing or processing food.

Who Feeds Bristol? looks at the 'positive planning powers' cities may have on their food system and it makes suggestions for improving resilience.

Partly in response to the report, the city authorities have set up a new high-powered Food Policy Council for Bristol.

The Food Policy Council will be chaired by Professor Kevin Morgan from Cardiff University, and includes the City Council leader, Barbara Janke.

The Who Feeds Bristol? research will inform the Food Policy Council's work towards a resilient food plan for the city.

Although a hungry Bristol may seem far-fetched, MI5 have a maxim that society is "four meals away from anarchy".

This is because they believe that everything would break down very quickly if people got scared about having enough food to eat.

At least our city, unlike most others, is beginning to think about issues like this.

And maybe it's time you got yourself an allotment, planted those spuds in your back garden or started buying your food from local farmers?

Peter Madden is the Chief Executive of Forum for the Future,  the sustainable development charity.