If farming is to meet the challenges of producing more food while impacting less on the environment, it is vital that research and development in agricultural science is given the funding it needs to help provide the solutions, a major conference heard.
Dr Helen Ferrier, the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) chief science and regulatory affairs adviser, told the Agricultural Industries Confederation’s annual conference that science has a key role to play in food production.
She also talked about the NFU’s Why Science Matters for Farming campaign, which was launched last year to highlight the need for increased funding for agricultural research and development.
Dr Ferrier said: “The debate about food security has brought renewed interest in agricultural research and development both in the UK and globally and we are gradually seeing more funding being made available for research to help increase agricultural productivity, at the same time as minimising its effect on the environment.
“To ensure farming is able to fulfil its potential it is important that, as well as genuinely science-based policy-making, there is more collaboration between the public and private sectors, and that strategic partnerships are created to drive the research agenda forward.”
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