b'BY: NIGEL MOOREPromoting Science for Sustainable AgricultureT here remains no greater challengepolicy issues such as future farm support,itizes taxpayer R&D investment in pre-for humanity today than livingR&D funding and sustainability metrics,cision farming projects such as robotic sustainably. That means mitigat- Britains food system could fail to deliverharvesters, vertical farms and AI by ing and adapting to climate change andsufficient food with the lowest environ- more than 20 times the funding equiv-protecting our natural environment. Tomental impact. alent to be spent on crop genetic inno-achieve that whilst maintaining safe,Confronted with a cost-of-livingvation. While these agri-tech innovations healthy, and plentiful food which is acces- crunch and heightened food security con- are vitally important in driving efficiency sible by the poorest requires fast, respon- cerns, the report warns that UK policyimprovements at the individual farm level, sible improvement of our agriculture anddevelopment: those efficiency gains appear to be very food system. i gnores crucial scientific advice,small compared to the productivity gap Farming is part of a dynamic systemincluding from the Governmentsthat is shown to appear if we fail to sup-where biology, environment and eco- own research; port speeding up gains in genetic poten-nomics interact in highly complex ways.is risking food production in atial. That is why the SSA report explicitly Unfortunately, the topic is also subjectpolicy drift towards lower-yieldcalls for a new, long-term Crop Genetic to huge misinformation, and publicfarming systems and misdirectingInnovation Research Fund (CGIRF) to understanding of the real dilemmas ofre-wilding to productive farm- bridge this long-recognised gap in R&D sustainable food production is swampedland; investment. with conflicting arguments, with insuffi- fails to fact check informationConsumer research commissioned cient trustful sources behind them. Thisfrom campaigning groups; by Science for Sustainable Agriculture subject is so important that independ- risks sleepwalking us into a lesshas also revealed a surprising lack of ent evidence, robust measurement, andsustainable food system than weawareness among British shoppers about rational consideration of the complexhave today. where their food comes from, and how interdependencies of food and agricultureImportantly, the report also callsmuch scientific innovation goes into its are essential for politicians, regulators,for long-term investment in crop geneticdevelopment and production.farmers, and consumers to make the bestinnovation as the main driver of agricul- The future for sustainable agricul-decisions for a sustainable future. tural productivity gains, citing the Mayture does not lie in turning back the Thats why I am pleased to be2021 study by HFFA Research GmbHclock, as some would have us believe, but involved in Science for Sustainablewhich concluded that, since 2000, pro- in embracing innovative solutions, apply-Agriculture (SSA), a new policy andgress in plant breeding has accounteding scientific data and evidence, and com-communications platform in the UKfor two-thirds of the productivity gains inbining innovation with established best bringing together a broad range of like- UK arable crops. This followed an earlierpractice and knowledge from a range of minded individuals and organisationspeer-reviewed study, led by NIAB scien- farming systems. to champion and explain the vital roletists in 2011, which found that for the UKsScience for Sustainable Agriculture of agricultural science and technologymain cereal crops (wheat and barley), theis keen to promote a conversation rooted in safeguarding our food supply, tack- contribution of genetic improvement toin scientific evidence. We all have to ling climate change and protecting theyield gain was closer to 90 per cent.open our minds to questions that can be natural environment, and to expose andIndeed, without the contribution ofuncomfortable and challenge our ideas challenge unscientific and potentiallyimproved varieties over the past 20 years,and beliefs but when guided by measur-misleading positions. the HFFA study found that UK crop yieldsable evidence provided by independent In its launch prospectus, Science forwould be 19 per cent lower, and 1.8 mil- scientists, we have the best chance of Sustainable Agriculture applauds earlylion hectares of additional land wouldfeeding an increasingly hungry, warm-action by the UK Government to alignbe needed in other parts of the world toing planet in the most sustainable way. with scientific assessment and removemeet our food needs, placing additional precision breeding technologies frompressure on scarce global resources andEditors Note: Nigel Moore works GMO rules inherited from the EU, butcausing more than 300 million tonnes ofat KWS UK and is a member of the cautions that without a matching com- additional GHG emissions.Science for Sustainable Agriculture mitment to also follow the science on keyIt seems a strange policy that prior- advisory group.42IEUROPEAN SEEDIEUROPEAN-SEED.COM'