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Keynote Congress Speakers Set Out 10 November 2003 The BCPC International Congress Crop Science & Technology opened in Glasgow on 10 November with four keynote speakers addressing some of the key issues that will impact on the future of crop science. How can society reconcile the need to increase food production when expanding the area cropped globally would seriously impact biodiversity but the other option – intensification – also brings its own problems? And what about the speed and novelty of the development of genetic data production? This exciting science has not met with universal approval with particular concerns for safety and environmental impact. Consumers too have ever higher expectations of what they want from their food in terms of quality, taste and convenience, but are these expectations realistic? There may be strong arguments that point to the need for new technologies that can potentially increase crop productivity and substitute for non-renewable inputs that in the long-term are not sustainable but will these be accepted by the public at large? Starting with a different approach Challenges for the 21st century "The demand for increased crop productivity over the next 50 years will be driven by population growth and increasing urbanisation in developing parts of the world,” he explained. “However this demand is incompatible with the relatively costly, fossil-carbon inputs that have, up until now, provided the basis for increased productivity in the developed world. Along with this we have large annual losses of productive land globally which is giving much cause for concern." "There is a strong argument to suggest that there is a real need for new technologies that have the potential to increase crop productivity and substitute non-renewable inputs. New knowledge and understanding of the processes and organisms that cause yield reduction, and the development of sustainable crop technologies based on renewable inputs, are now emerging opportunities," he concluded. Since the discovery of DNA 50 years ago, there has been a new approach to the study of living systems. In his address on the "Impact of Genomics on the Food Chain" Professor Peter Lillford, Professor of Public Awareness of Science, Centre for Novel Agricultural Products at The University of York, UK, considered the impact of genomics on agriculture. "The speed and novelty of developments has not met with universal approval," he warned. "There have been concerns about food safety and environmental impact, particularly in Europe. Nonetheless the uptake of GM technologies is worldwide and soon there will not be many people who have not eaten foodstuffs that either contain GM material or have been produced with the aid of enzymes or process aids in which that technology is involved." Continuing the food theme, Dr Christine Bruhn, University of California, Davis, USA, addressed the issue of "Meeting consumer demand for food safety, quality and environmental protection". "Today’s consumers have high expectations of their food," explained Dr Bruhn. "They want it to offer all the qualities to fit a healthy lifestyle, but at the same time they are increasing their use of convenience food. Along with this comes the need for consumers to accept new technologies, such as atmosphere and non-thermal processing technologies, which can provide sufficient shelf-life for the food." "Consumers value protection of the environment and many see organic production as contributing to this goal but there is little scientific information to support the theory that organic food is safer, better for the environment, or more nutritious. In the USA, market penetration of organic food remains at about 40%. In Europe consumers are resistant to products modified by rDNA technology and simply providing information on the benefits may not be sufficient to enhance its acceptance. What the consumer now needs is effective communication about all these issues, starting with educational programmes for schools, the community and via the media," she concluded. Against a background which suggests that we will need to produce over 50% more food by 2030, Dr Dick Potts, formerly of the Game Conservancy Trust, UK, considered the trade-off between expanding the area cropped globally and intensification, both with potentially serious impacts on biodiversity. In his paper "Balancing bio-diversity and agriculture", he said, "Intensification of cropping has many advantages over extending the area cropped in preserving biodiversity rich natural habitats and providing increased amounts of food. If we are to save the rich bio-diversity in tropical rainforests the developed world will have to produce more grain and export it to the developing world. To be effective this must go hand-in-hand with biodiversity conservation where the extra grain is produced," he said. |
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