It has started, as it must, in Europe as the policy of imposing tougher restrictions on GM products than elsewhere in the world is coming under pressure as it is having a direct affect on the competitiveness of our pigs, poultry and livestock sectors.

Romanian farmers are threatening protests if their government bans the GM crops they currently grow. As in Romania there are no such reservations elsewhere in the world: last year 114 million hectares of land were planted with GM crops by 12 million farmers in 23 countries.

In Europe we are unable to produce sufficient quantities of protein and are reliant on imports particularly of soya from abroad.

Much of this soya is GMO which is licensed by the EU to be sold (but not grown) in Europe.

As the amount of non GM soya produced in the world is fast declining, the cost of sourcing non-GM soya is becoming prohibitive, even if you can get it.

The irony of course is that whilst we put our own producers out of business we then import meat and dairy products produced from animals fed on GM soya. We can do nothing about it because we cannot detect it.

If current forecasts are correct and the world population rises by 43% by 2050 then food production will need to be stepped up dramatically.

On a reduced land area due to climatic reasons and urban spread we are going to have to become even more efficient in producing food and make better use of our limited resources if people are not to starve.

Throughout the 1980s we saw UK productivity gains of over 4 per cent per year but these have since levelled off to around 1 per cent.

The reasons for that are two fold. Firstly we have been reluctant to grasp the latest controversial technology and many of our scientists have been lured abroad where facilities are better and they are respected for what they are trying to achieve. Secondly (connected with the first) is the simple fact that successive governments have not seen food production as a priority and have concentrated research almost exclusively on the environment.

Whatever your views on GM technology it does offer farmers the opportunity to provide the food we need at a cost that is affordable both to the consumer and the planet.

If we can reduce our reliance on insecticides, fungicides or weed killers then that must be a good thing. Of course we must be cautious and we must take the public with us.

That is why we welcome the debate and hope that it will be conducted on a scientific rather than emotional basis.

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