Memorandum submitted by Rothamsted Research
BACKGROUND
Rothamsted Research, is the largest agricultural
research centre in the UK. It employs approximately 500 agricultural
and environmental scientists, has 85 ongoing research projects
with the developing world, and through Rothamsted International,
the team that acts as its interface with the developing world,
Rothamsted manages two Fellowship programmes for placement of
scientists from the developing world not only at Rothamsted, but
at centres of research excellence across Europe.
RESPONSE
I would like to highlight two issues in response
to the above inquiry:
1. The practice of food aid procurement from
local or regional sources, will be of paramount importance in
terms of global food security. With global food shortages likely
to increase, local or regional production will for the most part
be the only source of food available.
2. Expenditure in support of local / regional
food production for food aid will certainly produce more sustainable
solutions to this problem. However, there are currently overriding
technical barriers to efficient local production particularly
where subsistence farming is involved. These barriers are unlikely
to be overcome by the conventional solutions of synthetic fertilisers,
pesticides and the current generation of GM crops, largely because
of the uncertainty in guaranteeing a successful harvest as a consequence
of issues of climatic variability, for example. Thus increased
research and development resources are needed to provide the appropriate
technologies which should largely be based on improved agricultural
practices and delivery through non-hybrid seed.
Professor Ian Crute
Director
Rothamsted Research
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