Speaking very much as a lay observer, I have always had a sneaking suspicion that any dialogue between the worlds of science and commerce is far more complex than either side realises.

While both scientists and commercial operators are recognised for making progress as well as problem-solving, the result often seems to be a compromise between them.

This may not be down to a lack of understanding, rather it comes about because each sector inhabits a separate world where time scales and even risks are seen differently. And when politics is added into the equation, reaching a clear-cut and satisfactory conclusion can be even more difficult.

This week horticulture, agriculture and support services provided to the food sector have been added to the maelstrom of discontent whirling round the government, this time generated by Prospect, the public-sector science union.

Simplistically, agency scientists employed by Defra claim their function is in danger to the point that they will soon be unable to cope. These are scientists who work at some of the best known and internationally recognised institutions in food and agriculture - including the Pesticides Safety Directorate.

Prospect says there has been constant rationalisation in recent years and that further cuts are on the way at a time when workloads are actually increasing. All this has been created by a mix of legislation, commercial demands and food scares. What is even more extraordinary is that the same organisations are still being widely praised for their professionalism and ability to respond in times of food crisis.

The secondary issue is that members apparently operate on a far lower salary scale than many of their non-scientific colleagues within Defra.

At first glance the scenario conveys a sense of deja-vu which has been the hallmark of previous scuffles between unions and government concerning health, pension, and social services.

Now Prospect is taking its grievance to the TUC conference at Brighton next week. I hope the union’s argument will not simply sound like a wages claim, because if Prospect is right, there is far more at stake and the long-term reverberations would be felt across the whole industry from grower to retailer.

Commerce as a whole usually keeps its distance at the time of such debate. But can it afford to this time when the future of bodies such as the PSD are at stake?

Technology is influencing all our lives at an ever-increasing rate, making good agricultural science and its back-up more than a bedrock for our sector. Keeping the industry on the right path is critical for success. If the boffins become fewer in number through lack of confidence, it will be a far more serious matter than probably most people realise.