The British Crop Production Council (BCPC) has warned that DEFRA lacks an appreciation of the long-term effects of existing practices in food production and the potential effects of changes in world population and climate change.

The body broadly welcomed DEFRA’s intent to develop an over-arching plan to make the food system more economically, environmentally and socially sustainable.

But the council issued the warning in response to DEFRA’s consultation on the plan, and BCPC chairman Dr Colin Ruscoe warned: “The main aims appear to reflect a short-term view, with comparatively minor variations on business as usual, and that will not do. Food security should be at the top of the government’s agenda. Issues of sustainability are of increasing relevance to food security. A food security policy has to be underpinned by systems of production that are biologically and geologically sustainable in the long term.”

BCPC believes it is critical that DEFRA’s Food 2030 plan recognises and deals with the major demand and supply changes that will occur. But it needs to go even further and lay the groundwork for a food production system for 2050, and maybe even as far ahead as 2070.

“Key questions such as ‘How will farming have to change in a world of nine billion people?’ are absolutely fundamental to planning a food production system for 2030 and beyond,” said Ruscoe. “Over the last 50 years, population growth and changing food consumption patterns have increased demands on crop production.”

Scientists at BCPC are concerned that the proposed plan does not address key issues such as the supply of essential inputs - plant nutrients and fuel - that are not being replaced or recycled.

“The way of dealing with them should be apparent in the policies and proposed actions throughout,” said Ruscoe. “The challenges should be reflected in every section and at the forefront of the whole discussion. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Government must accept that science and technology will play a fundamental role in all this and that a great deal of research and development will be needed if the problems are to be quantified and solutions found.”