The National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB), which each year holds crop trials for growers, the Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC), which is the trade association for the UK's fresh produce sector, and the Agricultural Biotechnology Council (ABC), which defends genetically modified crops, all support the proposal.
They have all welcomed the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee report Securing food supplies up to 2050: the challenges faced by the UK, published last month. In particular, MPs highlight the important role of science and technology in allowing food production to keep pace with population growth and the need to increase investment in public sector research.
The report says Defra should commission research "to establish the reasons for the relatively low level of domestic fruit and vegetable production".
NIAB chief executive Tina Barsby said: "We... welcome the EFRA committee's call for greater long-term strategic investment in applied research and knowledge transfer, especially of the kind taking place at NIAB to transform basic plant science into innovative products of value to farmers and consumers."
FPC chief executive Nigel Jenney said: "There are some tough challenges ahead, which have been recognised in this report and we recognise the committee's call for a more robust supply chain to meet these challenges."
ABC chairman Julian Little said: "This report rightly recognises the need to find ways to feed an ever-increasing population."
To hear what else these leading industry figures have to say on the report see next week's Grower, out on 7 August.
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All Comments
Now IS the time to increase fruit & veg. production. The EFRA Committee's PR said "more food, more sustainably" \(http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/environment__food_and_rural_affairs/efra_pn28_090721.cfm). Fruit & Veg make the best case for the "more sustainably"aspect - being healthier for both people and planet.
I was the Specialist Adviser to the EFRA Committee "Securing Food Supplies etc", and would now like to help make that case. I would like to work with somebody who could help draw up the "nutritional agriculture landscape" \(NAL) of UK. ie, map UK as it would look if it provided the same proportions as are required in a healthy diet.
I am aware of RELU/Reading work \("Land to Mouth"). Here, I am looking more for somebody who can "paint a picture" to make the point more strongly.
We also we need to be getting in on the future CAP debate to ensure fruit & veg production is better subsidised - using sustainabilty/healthy criteria as spelt out by WHO to justify that.
If you google "sustainable food" you come to my site @ No1, and this can be used to help discussion...
Cheers Charlie
\(Dr Charlie Clutterbuck)