In spring 2008, the Government Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor John Beddington, commissioned two independent reports on the theme of food security in response to high world food prices
The first of these reports considers the potential to increase UK production of two key arable crops, wheat and oil seed rape, in both the short and long term.
Short term approaches investigated are to increase the arable cropping area, increase the intensity of the two crops in rotations, and increase yields on cropped land. Long term productivity increases are assessed within the framework of the research and development needs.
UK production of the two crops could be increased significantly in the short term, but with associated negative environmental impacts from many of the approaches that would enable this.
However, over the long term, research and development, particularly breeding to improve crop traits, holds significant potential to increase UK crop production with benign or positive environmental impacts. A win win for productivity and the environment.
Please note that this report is not a statement of government policy.
The full report is available for download here:
The potential to increase productivity of wheat and oilseed rape in the UK
