Welcome for report on food security

Farming leaders and agricultural scientists yesterday enthusiastically endorsed a report calling for a fundamental change in world food production in order to feed the expected increase in population.

The Foresight Report on Global Food and Farming Futures is the end result of two years' work by a group of top research workers and leaders in rural science issues in the UK.

Professor Peter Gregory, director and chief executive of the Scottish Crop Research Institute, was one of those who helped put the report together.

"This report contributes to the emerging agenda for research on food security. SCRI will continue to make major contributions to this through its work on breeding new crop varieties that are resistant to diseases and able to use fertilisers and water efficiently," he said.

Gregory also highlighted the need to develop new management systems that promote sustainable crop production practices if the world population was to avoid increasing levels of hunger.

NFU Scotland president Jim McLaren picked out several strong messages from the report that will impact on Scottish farmers. "This hugely important and influential report must drive the issues of food security and sustainable agricultural production to the very top of the political agenda," he said.

"The good news is that, for Scottish farmers to play their part in meeting the future food requirements outlined in this report, it will require evolution rather than revolution.

"Scotland already has a proven ability in producing quality food in a way that protects and enhances the environment upon which that very production depends.

The union boss pointed to the joint industry commitment on climate change, delivered by NFU Scotland, QMS and SAOS last year, as a clear example of how Scottish agriculture can effectively meet food security demands while maintaining the countryside. Importantly, he added this was being achieved with less environmental impact per unit of production than it has ever done before.

One of the themes in the report is the amount of food that is produced but is then wasted and not consumed. The experts reckon that a third of the world's food is currently being lost and that by halving food waste by 2050 this would have the same effect as increasing food production today by 25 per cent.

McLaren reckoned this type of efficiency was already happening on Scottish farms with farmers producing more food while using fewer inputs.However he added: "It is absolutely essential that producer commitment to efficiency and sustainable farming is met with a similar commitment from the marketplace."

And he reminded politicians of the issue that has lain in their pending tray for a long time - GM crops.

"While difficult decisions may lie ahead with regard to the uptake of technology such as GM, it is crucial that the debate on such issues gathers momentum and that science rather than emotion dominates the discussion."