The food supply chain from farm to consumer is a complex one, and the importance of guaranteeing a secure and safe supply of healthy food to the consumer through this supply chain has never been more critical.
IFST, joint with IFR, highlighted some of the key agricultural challenges at this year's conference. We explored the most up-to-date food science and technology thinking to determine how best to address the key challenges and engage those throughout the food supply chain.
New for 2013 - videos and presentations now available to view simultaneously.
Abstracts, Presentations and Podcasts
Sustainable production: the foundation of secure food supply
Ian Crute, Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 2TL
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Food features prominently in a raft of interrelated societal challenges associated with: health, deprivation, novel technologies, natural resource management, climate change, migration, urbanisation and armed conflict. As a consequence, food (production, distribution and processing) is now politically centre-stage. Advances in science and its application to sustainable food production is necessary (but not alone sufficient) to resolve or mitigate all the above issues. However, the concept of sustainability only has meaning when considered over periods of time measured in generations. Hence, a pragmatic way to define sustainability, in terms of environmental impact, social cohesion and economic viability, is the ability, indefinitely and predictably, to meet (but not exceed) the ever-changing market demands for food, regardless of external perturbation. Reconciling the need for food security with the environmental consequences of agriculture represents a challenge whose resolution will require shared responsibility throughout the food chain as well as continuing investment in science and innovation.
Preventing waste from farm to fork
Andy Dawe, WRAP
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The waste of good food that could have been eaten is of global concern and has been a primary focus of attention within WRAP over the last few years. Activities have been centred around voluntary agreements with business such as the Courtauld Commitment (with grocery retailers, brands and manufacturers) and, more recently, the Hospitality and Foodservice Agreement. The Love Food Hate Waste campaign has also raised awareness and supported consumers in taking action and has been delivered in partnership with businesses and Local Authorities. These activities have generated significant impact at all stages of the food loop and the learnings that have been gleaned are now being shared on the international stage. Reducing food waste is, however, only one way by which we can reduce the environmental impact of our food.
Sustaining European seafood security - the role of Asian aquaculture
Prof. Dave Little, Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling
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The seafood security of the EU has been supported by rising levels of imports, increasingly derived from aquaculture, from the Global South. The dominance of Asia in both aquaculture production and consumption has led the Region to assert a key role in supplying Europe. The emerging importance of Asia in supplying both white fish and shrimp to EU markets is assessed from the perspectives of both consumer and producer contexts and potential impacts on the success of improved management of EU fisheries. The comparative advantage of Asia to EU-based aquaculture is considered from a systems perspective and the resulting challenges to trade examined. The core values of Asian aquaculture are examined in the light of growing concerns over traceability and private sector governance of global farmed seafood value chains.
Safeguarding and improving animal welfare
Harry J. Blokhuis, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
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Over the past decades the European public has become increasingly concerned about the welfare of food producing animals. This growing public attention resulted in legislative initiatives at EU and national levels and this has clearly affected livestock farming practices. In the food chain, claims of higher levels of farm animal welfare became an aspect of marketing and an additional component of quality. Also research in the area of animal welfare has grown to become a mature scientific discipline.
However, available product information is often insufficient or misleading. Lack of standardization of measurements also makes the information not comparable and thus confusing.
A standardised and feasible quantification of how animal production processes affect animal welfare is essential to inform the general public and to manage and improve animal welfare on farm. Information on welfare status may also be used to provide input to animal welfare risk assessment processes, to allow certification and marketing of products and to complement regulatory standards.
Reducing the Over-Use of Antibiotics
Jeff Jones, AHVLA
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The increasing emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance in both human and veterinary medicine underlines the pressing need to preserve and maintain the therapeutic efficacy of antimicrobials. For some organisms, the emergence of resistance in animals can have direct consequences for public health. A number of veterinary organisations around the world have developed prudent and responsible use guidelines, describing the appropriate use of antimicrobial compounds. Management systems which rely on the ongoing use of antimicrobials are considered by the author to be ultimately unsustainable. Food producers should maintain good biosecurity to ensure that resistant bacterial diseases are not introduced into their livestock enterprises. This is a very important issue, because many veterinary pathogens in the UK have not yet developed significant resistance and remain largely susceptible to “old” antimicrobials. However, this is not the case in certain other parts of the world and poor biosecurity and importation of resistant pathogens results in acquisition of the problem, possibly despite having adhered to responsible use guidelines.
Modern plant biotechnology including GM and its implications for the food supply chain
Cathie Martin, John Innes Centre, Norwich
Chronic non-communicable diseases are responsible for at least 3 out of 4 deaths amongst inhabitants of Western countries; these figures are going to increase with the currently recorded prolongation of life span and the rise in unhealthy eating, a major socio-behavioural risk factor. Development of adequate preventive or ameliorative measures for chronic diseases should include increased consumption of health-promoting foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables. However, despite 25 years of the 5-a-day campaign, consumption of at least 5 helpings of fruit and vegetables per day has risen by just 3% in the USA. Consumers find radical dietary change very difficult to achieve. Consequently, there is a real and pressing need for enhancement of bioactive levels in foods that people actually consume in significant amounts. Such novel foods, which could be developed through conventional breeding or, more rapidly, through genetic engineering, would reduce the incidence and progression of chronic disease and provide widespread socio-economic benefits.
The impact on the food chain of using crops for non-food products
Graham Redman, The Anderson Centre
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Agriculture is a commodity producing industry; it feeds into other industries that process the commodity into either higher value commodities or added value products. The buyer is generally not interested in the producer’s cost of production (commodities being homogenous regardless of who produced them) are sold according to the supply and demand fundamentals, not cost of production). Similarly, the producer will generally tend to sell to the buyer who buys the greatest value. Thus, when a biofuel company offers the market price but with fewer clauses, faster turnaround time or lower haulage charges, the farmer is likely to be tempted.
The debate on Indirect land use change has been accelerating of late with EU Commissioners having a differing opinion to some EU parliamentarians, an issue which affects the way people think about biofuels. Policy is decided through to 2020 but nothing is confirmed thereafter. The US has led the world into biofuels, and some believe could lead us out of it in coming years. Now that we have learned to produce 120 million tonnes more grain than we eat, the impact of the efficient farming industry with one of its key consumers would be massive. This gives an idea of the impact on the food chain of using crops for non-food purposes.
Protein sources for non-ruminant livestock: what are the consequences of using alternatives to soya?
Ilias Kyriazakis and Ilkka Leinonen, School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Newcastle University
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The issue of food security has forced us to re-evaluate the protein sources we use in non-ruminant production systems, and especially to look at alternatives to soyabean meal in diets. Soyabean is the most important protein source currently used in EU non-ruminant systems. For an alternative to be incorporated in these systems it needs to meet a number of criteria, including: sustainability in its production and use; including maintenance of animal welfare and productivity; cost-effectiveness; and, increasingly, maintenance – if not reduction - of these systems’ environmental impact.
This presentation identifies a number of ‘home-grown’ protein sources that can be included in non-ruminant production systems. A number of these can be included at high concentrations in animal diets without any adverse consequences on animal health and performance. In some cases, for example in the diets of growing and finishing pigs, their level of inclusion can obliterate entirely the need to include any soya bean meal in diets. The second question addressed is what are the environmental impact consequences of the incorporation of these alternatives in pig and poultry diets at system level? In order to assess this we use a Life Cycle Assessment tool that considers the impacts of pig and poultry products from ‘birth to grave’. The conclusions drawn in this respect depend greatly on the origin of soya and the land use changes associated with the production of both soya and alternative protein sources. Some recommendations will also be provided on how to ensure the sustainable use of alternative protein sources whilst minimising environmental impact.