'Farmers must not be left to pay for new food strategy'

NFU Scotland last night gave a guarded welcomed to the government's vision for food production through to 2030 spelled out by Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn, at the Oxford Farming Conference.

Chief executive James Withers warned that the government's ambitious targets for increased, sustainable food production would only be met if all links in the food chain played their part and farmers were not left with reduced profit margins.

"History has shown how responsive agriculture can be given the right incentives and I have no doubt that these future challenges can be met," said Withers. "However, the resilience and ingenuity of the farming industry must be matched by government investment in education, skills, science and renewables. Benn's plan for 2030 sets out that framework but it will be judged by farmers on delivery."

Agriculture, said Withers, was facing its greatest ever challenge to provide the nutritional requirements for a growing global population by increasing food production by 50 per cent. "We are being challenged to produce more food from less land, use less water, reduce usage of energy and fertiliser and continue to cut greenhouse gas emissions – all within the next 20 years," he said.

"The Food 2030 policy paper represents welcome recognition that a joined-up food strategy is urgently required and that farmers and growers will play a key part in delivering it."

Announcing the launch of the government's food strategy – the first for 60 years – at the Oxford conference, Benn said drought, poor harvests, high oil prices and food riots in some cities around the world over the past two years, had persuaded the government to re-assess the importance of food security.

"Right across the globe, the future we started to glimpse two years ago is now well and truly upon us," he said. "It is only in the last few decades that we have been able to take food supply for granted but we can't take it for granted any more.

"Food security is as important to this country's future wellbeing – and that of the world's – as energy security. Securing both must be our priority."

The UK needed to produce more food, said Benn, but it had to be done sustainably and the food produced had to safeguard the health of the nation.