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News Releases Stark choices for politicians over future of European food production 21 January 2008 European farmers must be given the tools to allow them to produce more food if targets to feed a rapidly expanding world population are to be met. The alternative will be to source agricultural produce from the global market where the control of supply, quality and sustainable means of production will be limited. These are the thoughts of the British Crop Production Council’s (BCPC) Dr Colin Ruscoe, who says that the rate of demand for food, feed and fuel is expected to rise sharply. "In 25 years’ time there will be 1.7 billion more mouths to feed in the world and there are huge pressures placed upon Europe’s farmers already struggling to respond to the demands placed upon them by both society and global competition." Dr Ruscoe says that increased food and biofuel supply can only be achieved in two ways: by bringing more land into production or increasing crop yields. "It’s estimated that less than 10 per cent additional land of sufficient quality is available, and any use of extra land will inevitably affect the natural environment." However Dr Ruscoe says that there is good news in that agricultural productivity can be improved without placing additional land under the plough. "Cereal and potato crops for example are only at 60-70 per cent of their yield potential which can be realised through a combination of both biotechnology and chemical approaches. Farmers will be able to respond to the production challenges if they are allowed to use the most effective technologies," he says. "GM crops can deliver greater and faster yield improvements than conventional breeding and as a result they are being accepted worldwide where they have been found to give environmental as well as yield benefits. They reduce the reliance on agrochemical sprays and reduce CO2 emissions," says Dr Ruscoe, "but, unfortunately, GM opposition in Europe has undermined agro-business driving much plant biotechnology research to the US and the Far East. "Equally worrying the European Parliament is now contemplating more restrictive crop protection chemical legislation further impacting on pesticide approvals in the re-registration process. This will inevitably affect European farm production, leading to higher prices, a reduction of locally produced food and a greater dependence on imports. In addition, it will not make our food any safer,” he adds. "It’s not difficult to see that if European agro-environmental policies continue to deny farmers the use of technologies to achieve production increases, it will affect Europe economically, increase our dependence on imports and limit our ability to protect the natural environment." Dr Ruscoe says that Europe has a clear choice of policy options: Allow farmers the tools to produce more food, feed fibre and fuel without increased use of land resources, or try to source more produce from an increasingly competitive global market. "Will the politicians and legislators make the right choice?" |
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