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Evening Standard food debate: Technology is solution to sustainable food problem

Technology will provide the best solution to the problem of food sustainability, experts told an audience at the Evening Standard food debate.

Industry experts gathered at Somerset House on Wednesday evening to discuss the future of food.

The forum on technology and food was hosted by the Evening Standard in conjunction with Syngenta, a leading agriculture company.

Editor Sarah Sands chaired the panel which included industry giant Syngenta at one end and the co-owner of healthy restaurant chain Leon at the other.

The group discussed problems including food waste, famine, the obesity crisis and the controversial topic of genetically modified foods.

Food: The debate heard about how technology can impact on food (Lucy Young)
Food: The debate heard about how technology can impact on food (Lucy Young)

The territory head of Europe North at Syngenta, Alex Steel, talked about the problems facing farmers such as the pressure of globalised markets, diseases and pest pressure.

He told the packed out audience: "There is no single technology that solves all these problems that farmers face.

“It's really important for all of us as consumers to understand what we consume and how that connects down the value chain.

“This is not about right or wrong or black or white it's about trying to have and open dialogue. It's about trying to produce the right food in a sustainable manner. “

The CEO of G’s Fresh, Peter Sargeant, spoke about the "life of an iceberg lettuce" and the complex work to ensure consumers can access the product they deem a staple.

He said: "In our farms across the globe we are planting every day of the year and constantly adjusting what we plant to weather predictions, also crop prediction models to enable us to reflect demand in any given week. Once we've planted that crop we must take care of it.

“So we are using all technologies available to us whether that be inputs such as fertiliser - organic and inorganic, pest control, mechanical hoeing, machinery advancements in terms of GPS to deliver the right quality in the right time.

Forum: Andrew Opie, Director of Food and Sustainability at British Retail Consortium (Lucy Young)
Forum: Andrew Opie, Director of Food and Sustainability at British Retail Consortium (Lucy Young)

“We use soil and farming experts. For me farming is littered with historic examples of the employment of technology and development.

“We have seen a doubling or our yield in iceberg lettuces over 20 years and that isn't a coincidence. It's about advances in every step of our supply chain."

The director of food and sustainability for the British Retail Consortium, Andrew Opie, added: "Sustainability pays in the long-run. Resources such as water, soil and land - all of these are going to be more expensive in the future.

“Better to invest today that will not only ensure their sustainability but good affordable produce. Customers are not adverse domestic to technology.

Panel: Peter Sargeant, Sarah Sands and Andrew Opie (Lucy Young)
Panel: Peter Sargeant, Sarah Sands and Andrew Opie (Lucy Young)

“If you think of some of the steps we've taken over the last few years - the reformulation of foods - the removal of fats, salts and sugar.

“All of that went on behind the scenes and a lot of investment to do that. And customers really liked that kind of work it helped them choose a healthier diet."

Henry Dimbleby, the co-founder of Leon Restaurants, compared his homemade sandwich with a handful of ingredients compared to a pre-packaged one he bought on a train which contained 37 ingredients which he read to the audience.

He said: "As someone who cares about what I eat it feels quite unsettling. But actually what's going on - is it a bad thing that's happening?"

But after discussing the history of farming he concluded: "I'm very optimistic that technology is going to solve our food problems.

“But I think there will be massive tension between government and private companies about what's good for society and what's good for massive corporations."

The fiercest debate was between Mr Opie and Mr Dimbleby over the effectiveness of package labelling in informing consumers.

The event is the first in a series of debates on the future of food.

For full coverage see Thursday's Evening Standard.