Sir, As much as I respect the Prince of Wales’s knowledge of the agricultural issues this country faces, I feel he is being naive in damning genetically modified foods (report, Aug 13).

In an ideal world we would all eat plentiful, fresh, locally grown produce. But the reality is that there is not enough food to go round all the world’s citizens, and we have to come up with a viable alternative. By 2030 the world population will have expanded by such an extent that we will require a 50 per cent increase in food production to meet expected demand. By 2080 global food production will need to double.

But the reality is that an area the size of Ukraine is being taken out of agricultural food production every year due to drought and climate change. Global food production is declining rather than expanding. The spectre of empty supermarket shelves, even in the West, must now be considered a real possibility. Already we have seen food shortage riots in Africa, consumer protests against rising prices in Europe and significant falls in rice production in Asia. Food security is now top of the political agenda and only genetically modified foods offer a potential way out of this looming crisis.

There are already many millions of farmers worldwide growing genetically modified crops and millions of people eating GM food, with no ill-effects. We need to accept that we no longer live in a world where fresh food is plentiful and readily available. We need to cast aside our fears and biases and realise that GM food is the only way to ensure that we can feed the world.

Struan Stevenson, MEP
Brussels

Explore Letters

• Feedback