Sustainable Development for the emerging world Sustainable Recovery for UK plc unlocking the potential of UK Agricult

1. Sustainable Development for the emerging world + Sustainable Recovery for UK plcunlocking the potential of UK Agricultural R+D Norfolk Farming ConferenceFebruary 2012  George Freeman MP Member of Parliament for Mid Norfolk Chairman of the APPG on Science & Technology in Agriculture Government Advisor on Life Sciences

2. Contents The challenge The opportunity UK Life Sciences UK Agricultural Science and Technology Norfolk & the NRP Government Next Steps The Prize George Freeman MP. Presentation to Norfolk Farming Conference. Feb 2012. 2

3. The Challenge Sustainable Recovery for UK plc Sustainable Development for the emerging world Foresight Report: The Future of Food and Farming Global population size will increase from nearly 7bn today to 8bn by 2030, and c 9bn by 2050. A generational challenge: we will need to produce twice as much food with half as much land, energy, water and labour. “Sustainable intensification” Increasing yield to meet rising demand will be difficult, and requires major investment. Expect 50% from genetic improvement, and 50% from improved agronomy. Key challenges: A. Balancing future demand and supply sustainably B. Ensuring that there is adequate stability in food supplies C. Achieving global access to food and ending hunger. D. Managing the contribution of the food system to the mitigation of climate change. E. Maintaining biodiversity and ecosystems while feeding the world. George Freeman MP. Presentation to Norfolk Farming Conference. Feb 2012. 3

4. George Freeman MP. Presentation to Norfolk Farming Conference. Feb 2012. 4, Note that advanced bioenergy research in the UK is focused on approaches that do not put biofuel and food in competition for land.Note that advanced bioenergy research in the UK is focused on approaches that do not put biofuel and food in competition for land.

5. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation “Farming is a great example of something critical to the poor that gets very little attention in rich countries.” 2012 focus on innovation in Agriculture Devoted almost $2 billion to helping poor farm families Preliminary studies show that the rise in global temperature alone could reduce the productivity of the main crops by over 25 percent. In total, only $3 billion per year is spent on researching the seven most important crops Case Study: In India rice farmers are switching to a new rice seed called Swarna-Sub1, which can survive in flooded fields. Their rice fields get flooded every three to four years, and in past flood years they ended up with almost no food to eat. Currently, 4 million tons of rice are lost to flooding every year in Bangladesh and India. But as farmers in the region adopt Swarna-Sub1, they will grow enough extra rice to feed 30 million people. Case Study: Working with the UK’s BBSRC, DfID and the Indian Government on a range of sustainable crop research projects George Freeman MP. Presentation to Norfolk Farming Conference. Feb 2012. 5

6. The opportunity: UK Life Sciences 4 major global markets: Chemicals. Energy. Food. Medicine. Growth! (China 8%, India 7%, Brazil, Russia 6%, Africa 5%) 3 Life Sciences: Agriculture. Cleantech. Biomedicine. Huge UK export and growth potential Linkages and Convergence: Agriculture and Climate Change Nutrition and Health Environment and Health UK has highly sophisticated Venture Finance markets Fast growth businesses creating the sustainable jobs of tomorrow Food represents a significant part of the UK economy UK has world class strengths in basic science and research and is Number 1 in the world for bioscience 3% of world’s researchers. 6% of Papers. 11% of citations. 14% of most cited. 2 Unis in top 5. 12 Unis in top 100. 32 in top 200. Biomedicine: Cambridge / London / Oxford Plant science: Norwich / Cambridge / Reading / London/Liverpool/Nottingham/ Rothamsted /Aberystwyth Cleantech: Norwich / Cambridge / London / Bristol / South West Clusters of innovation in a rebalanced economy. Norwich / Cambridge / Oxford: A11/A14 innovation corridor George Freeman MP. Presentation to Norfolk Farming Conference. Feb 2012. 6 In relation to chemicals: developing ‘green’ renewable replacements for the many chemicals upon which modern economies depend and currently come from unsustainable fossil carbon sources. In relation to chemicals: developing ‘green’ renewable replacements for the many chemicals upon which modern economies depend and currently come from unsustainable fossil carbon sources.

7. The opportunity: UK agri science Centres of Excellence Norwich Cambridge Reading Aberystwyth London Liverpool Nottingham Rothamsted Research Scotland A range of tools Basic Plant science Conventional breeding Wide range of technologies including GM Not just yield / productivity benefit Nutrition / “Nutriceuticals” Environmental Huge global potential: Prof Howard Atkinson, Leeds GM nematode-resistant bananas Prof Jonathan Jones, Norwich Blight resistant Potato Prof Graham Moore, Norwich £7 million grant to a consortium of researchers to increase the diversity of traits available in wheat via a comprehensive pre-breeding programme- George Freeman MP. Presentation to Norfolk Farming Conference. Feb 2012. 7

8. GM: a technology in demand Global food demand set to inc by 70% 2006 to 2050. Benefits Yield. GM crops have been shown to increase yields by 6%-30% on the same land area. Environment. (Water, Carbon, Pesticides, Cultivation). GM crops have reduced pesticide use by 350mKg. Development. 90% of GM crops grown by smallest, poorest farmers 29 countries growing GM crops e.g. 98% of soya exported from South America is now GM 10% of global ag land in GM production (15m farmers) 48% of crops in developing countries GM. (Will exceed developed countries in 2015) Global area of biotech crops reached 160m HA in 2011 (up 12mHA on 2010) Global value of biotech seed $13.2bn in 2011 The global market for agri biotechnology is valued at £90bn and is growing at 10-15% pa. % of UK public concerned about GM has declined from 43% in 2001 to 22% in 2011. Main UK public food concerns: Cost (61% of respondents) Salt (51%) Key other: (30-50%) Fat/sugar/waste/hygiene/labelling/additives) GM mentioned by 22% >2trillion meals containing GM ingredients have been eaten over last 15 years without one health incident identified. But..... Europe currently tests just 2 GM crops, and produces none commercially. EU anti-innovation‘Precautionary Principle’ As of March 2011, only 2 GM crops had been approved for cultivation in Europe – maize and potato. Several member states have issued bans on cultivation of these crops. BASF relocated R+D HQ from Europe to USA It takes on average almost 4 years for a GM import approval to be completed in Europe. (Twice as long as comparable jurisdictions). Cost for applicant c E7-15million / crop. Agricultural Productivity impact: next 10 years EU: 4% USA: 15-20% Brazil: 40% Source: Reuters ISAAA Food Standards Agency, 2011 EuropaBio :guide to GM crops and policies George Freeman MP. Presentation to Norfolk Farming Conference. Feb 2012. 8

9. The Opportunity: Norfolk and Norwich Norwich Research Park Major employer – 11,600 staff, 3,000 scientists, 14,200 students £100m research fund, £46m/year invested by the BBSRC 6 world class institutions within 1km radius, with global reputation. 4th in the UK for number of “most highly cited scientists” by sector (after London and Oxbridge) Case Study: Prof Jonathan Jones, Sainsbury Laboratory Studies basic mechanisms of plant disease and resistance since 1988 A centre of excellence for late blight research, which costs farmers up to £4bn a year worldwide Conducting research since 2010 into GM blight-resistant potatoes Testing whether resistance genes from wild potatoes enable plants to recognize whenthey are under attack. Resistance genes then activate the plant’s natural defence mechanisms. Source: Prof. Jonathan Jones of the Sainsbury Laboratory George Freeman MP. Presentation to Norfolk Farming Conference. Feb 2012. 9

10. The Opportunity: Norfolk and Norwich George Freeman MP. Presentation to Norfolk Farming Conference. Feb 2012. 10

11. 4 Norfolk Case Studies Agricultural Tech: MutMap Developed with Japanese scientists in the Sainsbury Laboratory at the John Innes Centre A new technique to identify and isolate traits in rice such as salt tolerance. Could cut time to produce commercial rice varieties by 3Xfold or better. Can soon be applied to other crops Biomedicine: Anglia DNA Based at the Norwich Research Park Offers a range of paternity testing services for the commercial and retail markets Feb 2011: Launch of AssureDNA, the UK's first off the shelf paternity testing kit, now available in Boots stores nationwide Expected turnover from October 2011 to September 2012 of £2m Launching a new drug and alcohol testing service in early 2012 George Freeman MP. Presentation to Norfolk Farming Conference. Feb 2012. 11 Glucoraphanin is a beneficial chemical that is found naturally in broccoli and is thought to help explain the link between eating broccoli and lower rates of heart disease and some forms of cancer. Glucoraphanin also leads to a boost in the body's antioxidant enzyme levels. Glucoraphanin is a beneficial chemical that is found naturally in broccoli and is thought to help explain the link between eating broccoli and lower rates of heart disease and some forms of cancer. Glucoraphanin also leads to a boost in the body's antioxidant enzyme levels.

12. Government support? Coalition protection for the Science Budget: £4.6bn /annum til 2015. (Capital down: £514m in 2011/12 £449m in 2012/13 £416m in 2013/14 £447m in 2014/15 Breakdown of spend: £2.75billion to Research Councils / Space Agency £1.6bn direct to Universities for R+D £150m through HE Innovation funding to Uni’s £100m to Learned Societies. Chancellor added an extra £470m on science (£200m in Autumn statement) £70m for NRP (26M) and Babraham (44M) £m for Translational Research Fellowships Global Food Security programme - £400M/year Technology Innovation Centres (Catapult) Cell therapy - Regenerative Medicine ((2012: Agricultural + Plant Science?)) Life Sciences Strategy 2011 Agricultural Science 2012 All Party Group on Ag Sci: Food Chain DEFRA / BIS Ag innovation BBSRC has a strategic interest in food security, Bioenergy, industrial biotechnology and genomics DfiD: Ag Sci as UK export for ‘Trade not Aid’ Export drive via UKTI DfiD The Foresight Global Food and Farming report 2011 sees significant role for GM and UK AgSci in global development DFID –     R+D funding across ALL disciplines (of which Ag is about one quarter, and a small proportion is using GM) 2011: £230m 2015: potentially £410m Collaborations (Gates Foundation, CGIAR, BBSRC, Alliance for the Green Revolution in Africa...100 varieties of drought resistant maize in Africa) Challenge: industry links and translation. Europe CAP Reform Science based Agricultural Innovation Framework George Freeman MP. Presentation to Norfolk Farming Conference. Feb 2012.

13. Next Steps Political support and leadership for UK Agricultural R+D and Innovation. Agriculture as a strategic priority Science / evidence based policy on GM + associated technologies Public opinion Skills Europe Regulation CAP reform Support for inward investment / global exports A Technology Innovation Centre for UK Ag / Plant Science DfiD Strategic collaborations with developing (Commonwealth?) nations. George Freeman MP. Presentation to Norfolk Farming Conference. Feb 2012. 13

14. The Prize..... A sustainable economic recovery for UK plc A global role Supporting the sustainable development of the nations (markets + allies) of tomorrow The county that gave Britain its first Prime Minister, the seeds of the Agricultural Revolution and its greatest military hero has a key role again. George Freeman MP. Presentation to Norfolk Farming Conference. Feb 2012. 14