There is a well known saying, 'no pain, no gain' and that will be ringing true in the minds of Milk Link’s 1,600 producers, who are on the brink of reaping just reward for 12 years of loyalty and investment.Scientists and Ministers call for new agricultural revolution
URGENT action is needed to boost food production and avoid the prospect of rising food prices and increasing global hunger, a report by leading scientists has warned.
The UK Government-commissioned Foresight Report on Food and Farming Futures calls for a fresh agricultural revolution to address the challenges posed by food security while ensuring agriculture’s environmental impact is reduced.
Unveiling the report at a press briefing in London this morning (Monday, January 24), scientists told how farmers are faced with the challenge of not only producing more food, but doing it on limited land, using fewer resources, and reducing its contribution to climate change.
Technology
The report calls on policy makers to explore a number of avenues in revolutionising food production, including removing trade barriers, promoting climate friendly farming, reducing waste and embracing new technologies – including GM.
The Government’s chief scientific advisor, Sir John Beddington said: “We are at a unique moment in history as diverse factors converge to affect the demand, production and distribution of food over the next 20 to 40 years.
“The needs of a growing world population will need to be satisfied as critical resources such as water, energy and land become increasingly scarce. The food system must become sustainable, whilst adapting to climate change and substantially contributing to climate change mitigation.”
Its authors warned the overall decline in food prices over the last 50 years was now reversing, and the future would see prices rise again, with the spike of 2007/08 a ‘moderate’ increase compared to those predicted in the next 50 years.
This, they warned would affect consumers globally, and would see more people slide into poverty adding to the one billion people who already go to bed hungry each night.
Environment
Any increase in production, the report says, must be achieved against a backdrop of reducing emissions from agriculture.
One of its authors, Jules Pretty, pro-vice chancellor at the University of Essex, referred to it as ‘the greenest revolution’ and said policy makers would have to help farmers look at new techniques such as zero tillage to help achieve that.
Defra Secretary Caroline Spelman said the UK too would play its part and vowed to provide leadership in achieving cooperation to ensure a global effort to meet the challenges.
She said: “To fuel this revolution, we must open up global markets, boost global trade and make reforms that help the poorest.
“Trade restrictions must be avoided, especially at times of scarcity. And we must manage price volatility by building trust and cooperation – and in particular by creating greater transparency around the true levels of food stocks.”
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Readers' comments (17)
mudflap | 24 January 2011 3:16 pm
if they'd just pay a fair price for their food they would get it. they all expect it at the cost of production or less!! and when they can get it a penny cheaper from somewhere else off they go!
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dairyman | 24 January 2011 5:09 pm
can some one tell the super markets & processers they need producers,and the price they pay for milk needs to be above the cost of production for non alined contracts.
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Rebel Dave | 24 January 2011 5:50 pm
They all prattle on about 'Sustainability'. Money is sustainability. This is a Capitalist world, if businesss does not make money it folds, this applies to Farming.
So if farmers get less than cost of production, the businesses fold. Supply comes in line with demand, price goes up.
This is basic Economics. Politicans don't understand basic Economics, the free market only means cheap to them.
In two years time I suggest market forces will have reacted and more food will be produced.
O, and as for what does 'Sustainability' mean, after long hours I put the following foward for debate.
'As long as Tesco can supply, the nation is sustainable. If Tesco can't supply then the nation is unsustainable.'
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Tom | 24 January 2011 8:19 pm
Well if they want food then they should pay for it. Make farming profitable, less beaurocratic people will take on farming as a career choice. Pay for what you farm not what enviromental things you do
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Charles Dowding | 25 January 2011 10:42 am
Why is gm always mentioned in terms of 'raising production'?? Actually it usually lowers yields and the gm industry does not like to admit it.
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Rural Vicar | 25 January 2011 10:53 am
Mudflap and Charles have both hit the nail on the head. Raising production is not everything - paying a sensible and fair price is the way forward, together with an increase in organic.
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Dave | 25 January 2011 11:34 am
Can Charles D. advise how Biocrops actually lower yields?
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worcs girl | 25 January 2011 11:34 am
tesco and the big 5 have got a lot answer to but since no one got the balls to take them in hand up to the general public vote with your feet i havent used a tesco for 10 Years i do use supermarkets but try to get main meat and veg of local suppliers and tins etc of the supers it can be done and i feel better for it
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Nigel Bullock | 25 January 2011 1:56 pm
I agree with many comments made, this "crisis" was going to happen while farmers are paid insufficient returns for their labours and investment. We must find a way forward so that more money ends up in farmers pockets for reinvestment both in the land they farm and machinery and livestock and not grabed by the fertiliser companies and chemical giants etc. We still have farms in our area that are in 50% set aside as it is uneconomic to produce break crops on the remainder. That has to be wrong. New technology is great but if the industry does not have the capital to buy into it then it becomes irrelevant.
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Anonymous | 25 January 2011 4:50 pm
"Money is sustainability." Sorry Dave, but you can't eat money.
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