Environmental, economic sustainability vital to future food production challenges

National Farmers' Union of England and Wales (NFU) Vice President Gwyn Jones addressed the future of food production at the Inside Government Food Security Forum. His talk, "Farming Matters," focused on the necessity of both environmental and economic sustainability for agricultural success.
"We do have massive challenges ahead," said Jones. "We are on the brink of a second green revolution, with food production at its center, but we can’t just farm and be damned. On one hand we have population growth but on the other global warming; we have a rising demand for energy but depletion in fossil fuels. We see an increasing demand for food across the globe but a scarcity of water and other natural resources with which to produce it. And let’s not forget the constraints of the current economic situation."
According to Jones, those who want to be successful in the current evolving climate must focus on innovation and opportunities, finding ways to implement food production that produces more but impacts less. "Food production is now a national and international top priority," said Jones. "British farmers can and will play their part."