Big supermarkets face change
He said that 30 to 40 years ago companies had to be large to afford the capital and complicated technology required. But now small businesses can access the money and the technology to run their businesses.
Lord Haskins, an advisor to the British government, said the large supermarkets are very good at property, and will still own it in 20 years time.
But what will go on within those warehouses was another matter. Space may be franchised out.
Lord Haskins was addressing 300 European and American scientists and food industry experts at the conference, organised by Teagasc in association with the Department of Agriculture and Food, UCD and UCC, as part of Ireland's presidency of the EU.
A leading US food scientist, Professor Daniel O'Sullivan, University of Minnesota, who hails from Boherbue, Co Cork, told the delegates that exciting new gene technology is about to revolutionise the global functional foods market.
He said probiotic bacteria incorporated into food can confer a range of health benefits.
Dr David MacHugh, Faculty of Agriculture at UCD, told the conference that designer livestock breeding will benefit not just farmers and the food industry but also consumers. He said gene technology has the potential to dramatically improve animal breeding leading to better quality and healthier food products.
