Benn's vision for the future of farming

With the demand for food expected to double within the next fifty years and the increasing pressures of global warming, he said the Government must steer a careful path between its environmental obligations and maintaining food security.

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“I think there is great potential for farming in the future,” he said. “Climate change, globalisation and an increasing population are all going to impact on our land use and create opportunities.”

But he added that any shift of production from food to biofuels must be environmentally and economically sustainable. Second generation biofuels could be a huge addition to the market place but their introduction remains some years away, he said.

Mr Benn spoke of his desire to begin consultation with industry over sharing the cost of dealing with animal disease.

“My experience of dealing with animal disease over the summer has taught me why a different system would be better. The cost of dealing with animal disease is unsustainable in its current form,” he said.

“A new system must be designed by the industry. Responsibility must fall with the industry because it has the greatest incentive to get it right.”

Farmers could be faced with an annual bill of around £40 million if the Government succeeds in transferring cost to industry.

Delegates at the conference challenged Mr Benn over newspaper reports that Defra was being forced to cut its budget by £270 million but Mr Benn countered that the budget would actually grow from £3.5 to £4 billion in 2010.

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