Hungry for solutions: the scientists trying to satisfy London's soaring demand for food

Will population growth and climate change mean food taken for granted by Londoners becomes unsustainable? Mark Blunden visits agritech giant Syngenta, one of the world’s leading crop protection firms, to discover its take on the future of food supply
At work: Glasshouse technician Carol Taylor at Syngenta seed farm
Alex Lentati

The equivalent of nearly 300 acres of British fields are needed to meet London’s daily demand for bread.

Just outside the capital, inside huge heated greenhouses, scientists are exploring new ways to grow resilient wheat seeds to keep London in loaves.

Agritech giant Syngenta believes that in future shoppers may face a stark compromise — either innovation is accepted or consumers face higher prices and supply shortages.

The divisive topic will be discussed at a debate on the use of technology in future food production at Somerset House on March 22.

Pollen technician Emma Johnston at work in the laboratories in Jealott’s Hill near Bracknell,
Alex Lentati

At Syngenta’s laboratories, set in 650 acres of farmland at Jealott’s Hill near Bracknell, the company develops a range of agricultural technologies, including pesticides and new seed varieties to deliver resilience, quality and better land use.

The company’s net income last year was $1.2 billion (£986 million) and it is currently the subject of a $44 billion (£36 billion) takeover offer by state-owned chemical group ChemChina.

Join the debate

The London Evening Standard, in conjunction with Syngenta, is  running a series of debates on food technology.

The first debate, The Future of Food, will take place at 7pm on Wednesday 22 March at Somerset House. Following the debate, all guests will have the opportunity of a private viewing of The Syngenta Photography Award. We have 25 pairs of tickets to give away.

Please go to standard.co.uk/offers to apply by midnight on Sunday, 12 March. Terms apply.

Syngenta believes technology is key to sustainable and environmentally friendly agriculture, including new genetic techniques, such as genome-editing where genes are “snipped” to change the genetic profile of a seed — to make it better yielding, for example.

Campaigners say genome-editing is just genetic modification (GM) — which is banned in EU countries — by another name. However, Syngenta says that while GM involves introducing foreign DNA sequences, genome-edited crops are created by manipulating the organism’s native make-up, a more rapid process of what has been undertaken by seed breeders for centuries.

Given the growing demand of cities for food, Syngenta and others in the sector are hoping consumers will understand and embrace the benefits of these new approaches. But food production continues to illicit strong opinion with many sceptics. Over the past decade anti-GM activists have continued to protest against what they dub “Frankenfood” crops trials in British fields.

Seed genetics only form part of the technology mix at Jealott’s Hill, and Syngenta is also working to find new ways to control toxic fungal organisms and crop-killing weeds such black-grass. The aim is to ensure that farmers have a range of protection tools to deliver more from less land and resources such as water.

Dr David Hughes says food demand is likely to double over the coming decades
Alex Lentati

Critics of the use of chemicals in farming, such the Soil Association, say issues such as black-grass are themselves caused by “pummelling” the land year after year with successive wheat crops and sprays.

David Hughes, Syngenta’s head of technology scouting, said: “Food demand is likely to double over the coming decades and we are responding to that through technology. The idea of achieving a doubling of food supply by doubling the amount of land that is used to produce food would be a disaster for the environment.

“It has to be safe, the question is can we produce enough to satisfy demand and can we distribute food equitably around the world? If we don’t, increasing numbers of people will become highly dissatisfied, which will result in significant social and political upheaval.

“Our technologies aim to give best possible outcomes based on measurement and data. If you don’t protect the seed as it’s growing in the ground then a large proportion of the crop will be destroyed before the harvest, or you could lose a crop entirely.”

Scientists are exploring new ways to grow resilient wheat seeds
Alex Lentati

Asked about campaigners’ fears over genetically engineered crops, Dr Hughes blamed “a deep suspicion of technology” and said that without innovation “yields would stagnate and then start to reduce” due to pesticide resistance.

He said: “Farming as it currently stands is not going to be good enough to rise to the challenges that we can foresee. It’s about using technology to be more efficient with resources to feed everybody.”

Peter Melchett, a Norfolk organic farmer and the Soil Association’s policy director, said growing different crops, such as barley and peas, and giving land a chance to recover was the eco-friendly alternative to intensive wheat growing.

He added that consumers, including some London schools, were increasingly demanding pesticide-free local produce and shunning “anonymous supply chains”. He said: “Technologies involving manufactured fertiliser and pesticides — that includes GM crops and now genome-editing, which is another form of GM — all rely on a vision of farming which is moving in an opposite direction from the markets and people’s wishes.

The company is currently the subject of a $44 billion (£36 billion) takeover offer by state-owned chemical group ChemChina
Alex Lentati

“Organic farms always grow a mix of crops, that’s the way we avoid black-grass and other weeds. If you grow wheat after wheat with spray after spray, weeds become resistant and spread like wildfire.”

Clare Oxborrow, food and farming campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said changing diets and attitudes, not growing more food, was needed to feed an increasing population.

She said: “We’re wasting huge amounts of food globally and if you look at changing diets, particularly in China, which is adopting more western dietary patterns and eating more meat, this requires huge amounts of animal feed, such as wheat that is shipped from around the world. This is taking up valuable land that could be growing crops for feeding people.”

Responding, Syngenta’s Dr Hughes said: “It’s reassuring that the discussion about food technology is passionate with many views because no one solution will fit every context. We ask that people don’t dismiss the benefit chemical and genetic technologies can give farmers in bringing quality, safe and affordable food to consumers’ tables.”

Join the debate

The London Evening Standard, in conjunction with Syngenta, is running a series of debates on food technology.

The first debate, The Future of Food, will take place at 7pm on Wednesday 22 March at Somerset House. Following the debate, all guests will have the opportunity of a private viewing of The Syngenta Photography Award. We have 25 pairs of tickets to give away.

Please click here to apply by midnight on Sunday, 12 March. Terms apply.

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