Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom
August 10, 2009

The Westminster government has suggested a "radical rethink" is required of how the UK produces and consumes its food.

The Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn, was launching an assessment of the threats to the security of what we eat.

He said the UK's food supply is fairly secure, but he warned that climate change and population growth could damage this.

Producers, supermarkets and consumers are being invited to suggest how a secure food system should look in 2030.

Professor Peter Gregory, Director and Chief Executive of the Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI), welcomed the consultation. He said: “The multiple challenges posed by an increasing global population - changed diets associated with increased wealth, the need for bioenergy and climate change - have all re-focussed attention on food security and the requirement for efficient methods of production.

“Globally, suitable land for arable agriculture is limited and, as over the last 60 years, increases in production will need to come from increased yields. The challenge for SCRI is to find new crop varieties and new systems of crop production that can do this while simultaneously using inputs more efficiently and reducing emissions to the atmosphere and water bodies.”

SCRI is Scotland’s world-renowned centre for crop research. It’s scientists have bred many household names in soft fruit and vegetables, such as the UK’s number 1 raspberry, Glen Ample and what has been hailed as the world’s first environmentally potato – Vales Sovereign, which requires less water and fertiliser.

An independent economic impact assessment of SCRI estimated the organisation - based at Invergowrie near Dundee - generated£160 million of business every year in the farming, manufacturing and retail sectors in Scotland and the rest of the UK.

Professor Gregory continued: “Employing a wide range of biotechnologies that permit timely releases of new crop varieties, durable disease and pathogen resistance, efficient use of nutrients and water, and the exploitation of new knowledge about pest control will be essential to meeting this challenge.

“Scotland’s National Food and Drink Policy acknowledges SCRI’s role in providing excellent science and innovation to support new healthier and sustainable food products, and in the renewed food security debate.”

SCRI is partly funded by the Rural and Environment Research and Analysis Directorate of the Scottish Government. It is one of five Main Research Providers that undertake research on the Scottish Government programmes of research in the areas of environment, agriculture and biology.

See also: http://www.knowledgescotland.org 

Website: http://www.scri.sari.ac.uk

Published: August 10, 2009