by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
In a response to Natural England’s draft policy on food security and the environment, the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) has expressed concerns over both the loss of biodiversity and soil productivity in food production.
The CIWEM believes that the vital tension between the need to produce food and the need to preserve biodiversity is not fully addressed by the draft policy. UK's biodiversity is currently in crisis, with the loss of set-aside expected to accelerate loss particularly with regards to farmland birds. And whilst protecting enough fertile land for food production is an important policy, CIWEM is concerned over how this might be achieved in practice.
Not only may many of our most productive soils be lost to sea level rise in the future, but the CIWEM has profound concerns over the future of the soil science discipline.
There are few professionals in the soil science sector and many are approaching retirement. With no surviving soil science degrees in UK universities, expertise in this field is decreasing rapidly. This is an issue which is not addressed by Natural England, so the CIWEM wishes to see more emphasis placed on the importance of soil scientists in delivering future food security in the UK.
Food security for the country as a nation is something that most be considered paramount and above all other aspects and just below national security. In fact food security is an aspect of national security.
The CIWEM Director of Policy, Justin Taberham says: “Soil science is an under-supported and under-funded sector, yet it is crucial for the sustainable management of soil and helps to drive all its associated benefits – fertile soil and land that can produce food and other crops, as well as a healthy bio-diverse mix of habitats.”
The CIWEM also feels that there is insufficient emphasis on reducing the UK’s food dependency on external sources within the draft policy. The suggestion of improving efficiency and reducing waste at a household level, combined with ensuring a diverse supply chain, does not go far enough to ensure UK food security.
This is, yet again, the problem that we have seen before in other statements by this government where, for instance, they came up with the notion that the country should not even attempt to be self-sufficient in food.
Nick Reeves, CIWEM’s Executive Director, says: “Future food security is an issue that the UK Government seems unable to address with the level of urgency and seriousness that is required. We need a firm approach to develop a policy which will look at all issues, such as increased efficiency and less waste.”
The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) is an independent professional body and a registered charity, advancing the science and practice of water and environmental management for a clean, green and sustainable world, www.ciwem.org.
© 2009
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