Forecasts of a world population of 9 billionย has prompted the publication on Friday of Feeding the Future, a report backed by UK farming and agriculture support groups that sets out research and innovation priorities up to 2030.ย It warns of โa serious lack of R&D in agriculture and the urgent need to increase food production in a sustainable way. Despite some cross-sector initiatives there is a lack of โbig pictureโ strategic direction.
โIt is research and development that drives yields,โ says Ian Ashbridge, spokesman for the Institute of Agricultural Management, a contributor to the report.
GM โ also known as biotechnology or transgenics โย remains controversial and has provoked consumer resistanceย in many European countries.ย Its use is subject to strict controls in the European Union but its widespread acceptance in Asia and the Americas is beginning to pose serious problems for European growers and food processors.
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View the original article here:ย Scienti๏ฌc contributions: Report calls for more use of research to improve crops
