Food scarcity ‘may force EU into accepting GM commodities’

THE EU may be forced by food scarcity into accepting supply-boosting GM commodities, according to a world-leading institute for the debate and analysis of international issues.

However, Europe may escape the worst effects of global food production shortages, according to the independent Chatham House research organisation. Their preliminary report warns that food and drink companies might “need to change their mind-set to focus on longer-term supply relationships and more sustainable behaviours — implying a move away from short-term, exclusively profit-led goals”.

The authors canvassed the opinions of 22 professionals in the wheat and dairy supply industries and other experts. They found a consensus that commodity prices will remain high over the medium term, partly because of demand-supply imbalance. The area of land cultivated globally is not expected to increase much in the shorter term, and water shortages, particularly in Asia, also hinder agricultural production.