World Grain - November 2009 - 72

FEATURE: BLACK SEA HAS ANSWER TO FUTURE GRAIN NEEDS

gest customers for our cereals."
Mark Stevens, a farmer from Devon,
was enthusiastically pro-GM after a
study tour in Brazil gave him a chance
to see the environmental advantages. He
was particularly impressed by a type of
grass bred for increased nitrogen pro-

ronment has prevented us from doing
so," he said. "A lot of the new technology that is coming in the crop protection industry is really being targeted at
other parts of the world."
"I lay the blame pretty firmly at the
door of the government and DEFRA,"

"There is plenty of technology to bring in to Europe, but the
trouble is that the regulatory environment has prevented us
from doing so"
- Mark Hall, Syngenta

duction. "We could do without artificial
nitrogen," he said.
Mark Hall of Syngenta, one of the
biggest companies involved with biotechnology, criticized the European approach to regulation. "There is plenty
of technology to bring in to Europe, but
the trouble is that the regulatory envi-

said farmer Rad Thomas, an HGCA
board member. "They're obsessed with
food security and environment, but at
the same time they're denying us the
chance to use GM technology."
Jerry Dyson, strategic sourcing manager for Molson Coors reminded delegates that market acceptance was the

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important hurdle for genetically modified crops. "Until there is a market for
products made from GM, we're not going to change our stance, which is GM
free," he said.
Mark Button, arable manager of farmers co-operative Dengie Crops, underlined the importance of consumer attitudes. "Our customers in the U.K. are not
particularly keen on GM," he said. "The
fact that they don't want it is the important thing. Our customers on the continent
don't want it to an even greater extent."
HGCA Chairman Jonathan Tipples
offered the authority's view. "Our policy is that we will be driven by the science," he said. "The problem is that it is
being driven by certain newspapers and
pressure groups."
He had his own views as a farmer. "I
won't grow it until someone wants to
buy it."
The biotechnology companies had taken the wrong approach. To gain consumer acceptance, GM crops had to show
advantages for the consumer rather than
the farmer. "Until there's something for
them, they won't be interested," he said.
There are two big ethanol plants under construction in the U.K., and many
in agriculture and the grain market expect them to change the way the market
works dramatically. David Maxwell,
grain procurement and animal feed
manager for one of them, Vivergo Fuels,
was asked what effect it would have and
what type of wheat he'd be looking for.
"It's a great opportunity for U.K. agriculture and U.K. farming," he said.
He is not looking for very specific
quality. "When you're looking to purchase a million tonnes of wheat into a
single site, your opportunities to pick
and choose are limited," he said. "It's
difficult to be picky."
He stressed that the industry in Britain
is in its early stages. "It has to mature,"
he said. "It's a new industry."
Chris Lyddon is World Grain's European editor. He
may be contacted at: chris.lyddon@ntlworld.com.
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