Food and Farming
As global
population rises and our valuable natural resources are under increasing
pressure, the need to find intelligent ways of balancing production,
consumption and environmental protection are critical.
In recent years
there have been food riots around the world as a result of food shortages and
rising costs, which are impacting particularly on the poor. There
are also concerns about UK food security and therefore Government policy is emphasising
production. So what has driven these changes?
A Perfect Storm
Several factors
are coming together that are driving up the price of food across the world and
creating what some see as a perfect storm.
· A growing demand for
food and meat, especially in the emerging economies of China and India.
· A growing demand for
energy across the world which means agricultural land is being used to grow
energy crops. Even in Yorkshire wheat is being grown to produce bio ethanol and
oil seed rape is being grown to produce bio diesel.
· In addition, there is
the threat of climate change and pressure on water supplies.
Our
Beautiful Planet
We live on a
beautiful yet fragile planet, where our very existence is dependent on a few
inches of top soil, rain and sunshine.
Recently the
government's chief scientist Professor John Beddington delivered what he called
a 'gloomy, frightening but optimistic' presentation on these challenges.
Focusing on
population increase and climate change, Professor Beddington said food, water
and energy poverty remain the fundamental challenges and that 'climate smart
agriculture' was needed now. He went on to outline the growing gap between the
world's current water supply and the future needs. About 40 per cent more water
will be needed by 2030.
He added that the
world's population was likely to reach nine billion before 2050.
"Business as
usual in the agricultural industry to meet the burgeoning population and demand
on resources is going to exacerbate climate change," he said.
"Climate change
is happening and it will continue to happen. People have often said that
scientists exaggerate this to get research projects, but there’s an enormous
body of evidence to show that it's happening."
He condemned the
thwarted Rothamsted Research Station GM protestors, saying the science being
trialled at the station was 'exciting' and that it was 'very sad that a group
felt it should disrupt it'.
The responsibility for change lies both with farmers and consumers.
· On the one hand
famers need to embrace best agricultural practice and modern technologies to ensure
optimum levels of production in the most environmentally sustainable way.
· On the other hand as
consumers we need to make intelligent purchasing decisions, purchasing food
items with the lowest environmental impact and which have been produced in the
most efficient manner.
Sustainable Farming
The good
news is that British farmers are some of the best in the world producing
quality food to high standards of animal welfare and the environment. They use
modern technology with increasing precision and do not use more chemicals than
are necessary as they are simply too expensive; alongside their desire to
protect and respect the nature and landscape around their land.
Many
British farmers are also harnessing energy from the land, the sun and wind to
produce electricity and heat as well as fuels for vehicles, homes and
businesses. British farmers are also passionate about their animals. That’s why
our animal welfare standards are amongst the highest in the world.
A small
percentage of British farmers farm organically, however the potential for
organic production is limited, as Natasha Gilbert writing in Nature highlights;
“Crop yields from organic farming are as much as 34% lower than those from
comparable conventional farming practices, the analysis finds. Organic
agriculture performs particularly poorly for vegetables and some cereal crops
such as wheat, which make up the lion’s share of the food consumed around the
world.”
Therefore
solely relying on organic methods is not going to produce the food and raw
materials the world needs, so would leave many people hungry or paying prices
for food they could not afford.
Food Miles
Whilst it might be
attractive to enjoy green beans and sugar snap peas and strawberries throughout
the year, flying these in to the UK gives them a significant carbon footprint;
so it is more environmentally sustainable to choose seasonal vegetables and fruit
produced in the UK.
At the same time food
miles do not give the whole picture of the sustainability of produce. For
example bananas produced in the West Indies and transported in a modern freight
ship are likely have a lower carbon foot print than tomatoes produced in a
greenhouse heated by oil in the UK.
What we can all do
· Chose local and in
season produce.
·
Look out
for labels, such as the Red Tractor, LEAF Marque and the Lion on eggs.
·
Ask our
retailers, restaurants and pubs where their food comes from
· Visit the local countryside for a
walk or go on a farm day on Open Farm Sunday held each year in June.
