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News & Reports
Food security
EFRACom announces food security inquiry The House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRACom) announced on October 29 that it is to hold an inquiry into food security. Giving some background to the inquiry, the committee said that the UK has a highly successful agricultural industry and is 62 per cent self-sufficient in food production. The food and drink sector is responsible for 3.7 million jobs and 7 per cent of the overall economy. However, it added, ‘many domestic and international factors affect both production and prices for consumers, as became evident during the world food price spike of 2008’. The committee noted that climate 438 | Veterinary Record | November 9, 2013
change, population growth, energy supply and water security are all putting pressure on global food production and have the potential to lead to higher food prices. It reported that, in the UK, food price inflation rose from 3.1 per cent in 2012 to 4.4 per cent by the middle of 2013. The EFRACom also drew attention to the new UK Strategy for Agricultural Technologies, which seeks to exploit opportunities to develop and adopt new and existing technologies, products and services to increase productivity. ‘GM technology is one option,’ it said. ‘Supporters argue that it has the potential to increase crop yields and contribute to a more resilient agricultural system. Others fear the unknown
long-term environmental implications of this technology.’ The committee last looked into the issue of food security in 2009 and said that its current inquiry would follow up many of the issues raised then. n Anyone wishing to make a submission to the inquiry should do so via www. parliament.uk/business/committees/ committees-a-z/commons-select/ environment-food-and-rural-affairscommittee/inquiries/parliament-2010/foodsecurity. The deadline for receipt of written evidence is December 10, 2013. doi: 10.1136/vr.f6688
Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on June 8, 2015 - Published by group.bmj.com
EFRACom announces food security inquiry
Veterinary Record 2013 173: 438
doi: 10.1136/vr.f6688 Updated information and services can be found at: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/173/18/438.2
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To request permissions go to: http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions To order reprints go to: http://journals.bmj.com/cgi/reprintform To subscribe to BMJ go to: http://group.bmj.com/subscribe/
News & Reports
Food security
EFRACom announces food security inquiry The House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRACom) announced on October 29 that it is to hold an inquiry into food security. Giving some background to the inquiry, the committee said that the UK has a highly successful agricultural industry and is 62 per cent self-sufficient in food production. The food and drink sector is responsible for 3.7 million jobs and 7 per cent of the overall economy. However, it added, ‘many domestic and international factors affect both production and prices for consumers, as became evident during the world food price spike of 2008’. The committee noted that climate 438 | Veterinary Record | November 9, 2013
change, population growth, energy supply and water security are all putting pressure on global food production and have the potential to lead to higher food prices. It reported that, in the UK, food price inflation rose from 3.1 per cent in 2012 to 4.4 per cent by the middle of 2013. The EFRACom also drew attention to the new UK Strategy for Agricultural Technologies, which seeks to exploit opportunities to develop and adopt new and existing technologies, products and services to increase productivity. ‘GM technology is one option,’ it said. ‘Supporters argue that it has the potential to increase crop yields and contribute to a more resilient agricultural system. Others fear the unknown
long-term environmental implications of this technology.’ The committee last looked into the issue of food security in 2009 and said that its current inquiry would follow up many of the issues raised then. n Anyone wishing to make a submission to the inquiry should do so via www. parliament.uk/business/committees/ committees-a-z/commons-select/ environment-food-and-rural-affairscommittee/inquiries/parliament-2010/foodsecurity. The deadline for receipt of written evidence is December 10, 2013. doi: 10.1136/vr.f6688
Downloaded from http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/ on June 8, 2015 - Published by group.bmj.com
EFRACom announces food security inquiry
Veterinary Record 2013 173: 438
doi: 10.1136/vr.f6688 Updated information and services can be found at: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/173/18/438.2
These include:
Email alerting service
Receive free email alerts when new articles cite this article. Sign up in the box at the top right corner of the online article.
Notes
To request permissions go to: http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions To order reprints go to: http://journals.bmj.com/cgi/reprintform To subscribe to BMJ go to: http://group.bmj.com/subscribe/
