John Humphrys

Big names consider the implications of global warming in the Royal Agricultural College's annual conference at Cirencester. LEIGH ROBINSON reports.

Climate change was high on the agenda at the Royal Agricultural College's annual farming conference.

More than 200 delegates, drawn from the across the UK's rural and agricultural communities, gathered in Cirencester to debate the theme: "The contribution of the environment to the quality of life."

Environmental debate was informed by high profile speakers including environmentalist Jonathon Porritt, journalist and presenter John Humphrys, John Gummer MP, former president of the CLA David Fursdon, and sustainable development guru Dr Ann Heywood.

Focussing on the threats and opportunities that face the rural community over the next decade and beyond, the conference enabled delegates to consider their role in reducing agriculture's carbon footprint and respond to a market which will be revolutionised by climate change.

Despite a contentious subject matter and some naturally opposing viewpoints, speakers agreed on some of the fundamental impacts of climate change.

All pointed to the opportunity that farmers will face as temperate food supplies dwindle due to changing climatic conditions and increasing demand as our population grows.

And there will also be the tremendous growth potential of the local food' market as consumers become increasingly aware of the impact imported food has on global warming.

It was also agreed that over the next decade there is going to be a fine line between exploring more use of biofuels and jeopardising food security, as speakers highlighted that we must protect the continuity of food supply that an expanding population is reliant on.

Several speakers pointed to the US as an example of a country which had embraced certain biofuels like ethanol in an extreme fashion at the expense of food crops, creating real vulnerability in key food markets.

Speakers, however, also broached some subjects with differing views.

John Humphrys declared that GM crops were becoming an inevitable part of farming's future in response to climate change, and would be widely - if not used enthusiastically - in the next decade.

This view was supported by a show of hands from delegates, but Jonathan Porritt pointed to GM as being some kind of panacea argument used by those who choose not to address the real and more complex issues of how to respond to climate change.

Porritt was the keenest advocate of farm involvement in biofuels and alternative energy, predicting a future where farms will become the local power stations' of their communities.

John Humphrys pointed to the government target of five per cent of all fuel from biofuels as being "terrifying", and said it was neither deliverable and nor politically sustainable.

A brighter future for greener buildings

Dr Ann Heywood, principal of the College of Estate Management, pointed to the quality of life benefits of developing green buildings in her speech to the Cirencester conference.

She said they not only reduce carbon footprint but also increase wellbeing, and cited several examples - the green refurbishment of the Treasury building where absenteeism dropped by 20 per cent afterwards; the environmentally sound primary school where pupil performance rocketed, along with nearby house prices, due to its green credentials; and the Wal-Mart store where the installation of roof lights increased trade in those areas of natural light by 41 per cent.

The strong panel of speakers was matched by an impressive delegate list, including leading rural and environmental organisations such as LEAF, the CLA, the NFU, the Environment Agency, Forum for the Future, the Soil Association and Campden Chorleywood Food Research Association.

Delegates drawn from the local and south west region included Lord Apsley and other landowners, farmers and bodies such as Swindon-based biofuels producer Roves Energy, Business Link and Gloucestershire Food Vision.

11:55am Tuesday 5th February 2008

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