By Louise Gray

UK - Farmers have called on MPs to boost scientific research into
agriculture - including geneticially modified plants.
The Nation Farmers Union claim there has been a 45 per cent drop in funding
research and development in agriculture.

This has led to redundancies in the science sector, leading to second class
facilities for researchers working in highly sensitive areas such as animal
disease at a time when farming faces threats from bluetongue, foot and mouth
and bovine TB.

It has also led to a stagnation of national productivity, currently only one
per cent per year.

The report launched before 70 MPs at the House of Commons called on
government "to recognise the need of productive and efficient agriculture as
an important goal for scientific research and development and not focus on
environmental mitigation as its sole objective."

Dr Helen Ferrier, the author of the report, said this included research into
genetically modified crops. She said it was one of "the weapons in the
armoury" in boosting output particularly given the challenges of climage
change and increased demand for food.

"GM is one thing that is out there that can be applied to agriculture. It is
not new technology any more. Its applications are many and we would not want
it to be thrown out when it is very powerful.

"Understanding the genes of plants and understanding what each gene does is
extremely powerful to being able to breed better varieties and that is what
we need not just for better food but for better food stuffs for animals and
for industrial purposes."

Peter Kendall, president of the NFU, said farming needed to move with the
times.

He said: "In the 21st century we are faced with the unique challenge of
needing to produce more food using less land, water and other inputs
therefore we need to embrace science, research and technology more than ever
before to help increase production while preserving our environment and
dealing with the impacts of climate change.

Peter Melchett, policy director of the Soil Association, agreed more reseach
is needed into agriculture. But he said genetic research should focus on
developing genes through conventional means such as selective breeding
rather than genetic modification.

He added: "GM crops do not deliver and are getting out of date now."

Prince Charles has warned GM would be disastrous for agriculture.
www.checkbiotech.org