The question of exactly what makes a fresh produce business sustainable varies enormously, and an increasingly common theme for those who discuss it is the role of diversity in farming.
The economies of scale in large-scale mono crop farming operations are no longer enough to offset the increasing risk of extreme weather, chemical resistance, and new pests, while farmers can see more secure returns by growing a variety of crops, which can each withstand different pressures.
This was something highlighted by Don Cameron, general manager at Terranova Ranch in California, at the recent FT Future of Agriculture Summit in London. Since diversifying from two or three crops into a colourful array of fruit, wine grapes, salad veg, nuts and arable, Cameron said his farm has seen fewer pests, and its profits are better protected as there is “always something that has a disaster year”, when others have to bring in the revenue.
But diversifying production cannot be done without a more flexible approach to retail buying, in turn driven by a flexible and more knowledgeable approach to eating. This was something picked up on at the summit by Marie Haga, executive director of the Global Crop Diversity Trust, who said consumers hold the key in requesting more diversity.
“What I think is we need to make the consumer aware, and get them to request varieties with better taste. Often they are varieties that are better suited to local production,” she said. “Consumers have to request diversity. Potatoes are not the same – you should use different varieties; cooking with different varieties is more exciting. It will help us create a more sustainable global agriculture system. We should not forget the role of the consumer.”
A diverse farming system is directly linked to a more biodiverse ecosystem, with a knock-on beneficial effect on populations of local pollinators and wildlife, which in turn sustain the farm and protect its future. Speaking at a recent event to launch the new Sustainable Soils Alliance, mixed farmer and head of the Sustainable Food Trust, Patrick Holden, said he is met by “clouds of insects” while turning into his farm drive, a direct consequence, he said, of the different farming systems he uses.
It should be no surprise that climate change threatens the future of the intensive farming model, which relies on fertilisers and crop protection chemicals, and it’s clear there is now gathering momentum around a stronger link between farming and environmental protection. This ranges from the high forecasts for the future market value of biopesticides, to the fact soil is now perceived as a valid aspect of a government farming policy, to the growing interest in diversity. “No matter what the big man in the US says, the climate is changing,” said Haga. “We do need to do things differently in the future, with less land, less water, fewer pesticides and less fertiliser. We have one resource that is fully under utilised and that is diversity.”
As farming shifts into a new environmentally-aligned era, the awareness, consumption, and production of a more diverse product range will play an increasingly important role and help secure farm profits both now and in the long term.
The science of sustainability
While consumer and regulatory caution continues to stall any commercial cultivation of genetically-modified food in the UK, the scientists developing it are passionate about its role in the future of sustainable food. “Diversity is very important, but it’s not enough. We also need to breed plants,” said Professor Jonathan Jones, whose lab at the Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich is heading up a major GM potato trial into late blight resistance, and has helped bring to market the first GM potato in the US. One of the major points of resistance to GM is the ownership of seeds and patents by large multinationals, and Jones admitted that without this obstacle, consumer perception could improve enough to allow the sector to develop. “If GM traits could be brought forward by the public sector, I think there would be a great deal less public alarm,” he said, speaking at the recent FT Future of Food Summit. There are also hopes that a new process known as gene editing may enable a sort of rebrand for the technology as it differs slightly from the traditional ‘genetic modification’ and could be “communicated better” this time round. Speaking to delegates at the summit, Jones claimed as soon as GM is approved for cultivation his team would be ready to begin trials with any interested and innovative farmers. It’s clear the technology is ready and waiting, but GM’s role in a future of sustainable food is yet to be fully realised.
