Sir,
The sustainable intensification of farming, to produce more food with a smaller environmental footprint (Charles Clover Sunday Times January 8), will take many forms. Biotechnology isn’t the only tool in the box, but it will undoubtedly be part of the picture. We cannot afford to ignore the potential benefits of aphid-repellent wheat, or blight resistant potatoes, to name just two developments which are much nearer fruition than nitrogen-fixing cereals, if the aim is – as it must be – higher yields from lower inputs.
But housed livestock will also be part of the picture, not to the exclusion of outdoor, pasture-based systems, but in addition to them. Provided the highest possible animal welfare standards are maintained, there is nothing inherently wrong with keeping cows and pigs indoors. By producing large amounts of food from relatively small areas, we can take the pressure off much larger areas, with commensurate benefits for wildlife and the countryside.
British farming’s 40 year challenge, of producing 70 per cent more food, from the same area of land, using less non-renewable inputs, is a daunting one. Not the least of the many attributes that will be required in rising to it will be an open mind about new technology.
NFU President Peter Kendall
No comments have been made.