Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom
August 10, 2009
The Westminster government has
suggested a "radical rethink" is required of how the UK produces
and consumes its food.
The Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn, was launching an
assessment of the threats to the security of what we eat.
He said the UK's food supply is fairly secure, but he warned
that climate change and population growth could damage this.
Producers, supermarkets and consumers are being invited to
suggest how a secure food system should look in 2030.
Professor Peter Gregory, Director and Chief Executive of the
Scottish Crop Research Institute
(SCRI), welcomed the consultation. He said: “The multiple
challenges posed by an increasing global population - changed
diets associated with increased wealth, the need for bioenergy
and climate change - have all re-focussed attention on food
security and the requirement for efficient methods of
production.
“Globally, suitable land for arable agriculture is limited and,
as over the last 60 years, increases in production will need to
come from increased yields. The challenge for SCRI is to find
new crop varieties and new systems of crop production that can
do this while simultaneously using inputs more efficiently and
reducing emissions to the atmosphere and water bodies.”
SCRI is Scotland’s world-renowned centre for crop research. It’s
scientists have bred many household names in soft fruit and
vegetables, such as the UK’s number 1 raspberry, Glen Ample and
what has been hailed as the world’s first environmentally potato
– Vales Sovereign, which requires less water and fertiliser.
An independent economic impact assessment of SCRI estimated the
organisation - based at Invergowrie near Dundee - generated£160
million of business every year in the farming, manufacturing and
retail sectors in Scotland and the rest of the UK.
Professor Gregory continued: “Employing a wide range of
biotechnologies that permit timely releases of new crop
varieties, durable disease and pathogen resistance, efficient
use of nutrients and water, and the exploitation of new
knowledge about pest control will be essential to meeting this
challenge.
“Scotland’s National Food and Drink Policy acknowledges SCRI’s
role in providing excellent science and innovation to support
new healthier and sustainable food products, and in the renewed
food security debate.”
SCRI is partly funded by the Rural and Environment Research
and Analysis Directorate of the Scottish Government. It is one
of five Main Research Providers that undertake research on the
Scottish Government programmes of research in the areas of
environment, agriculture and biology.
See also:
http://www.knowledgescotland.org |
|
