READING FOCUS 10
How a new generation of radical farmers and
food producers are trying to balance the needs
of the environment with the need for increased
productivity.
R Seouueed former
Seamus O'Higgins
Although Seamus has been harvesting red seaweed called
dillisk on the West coast of Ireland for decades to make a
traditional snack, large-scale seaweed farming is a new venture.
'
It has huge potential,' says Seamus. 'It's both plentiful and fast-
growing - an ideal crop. Although seaweed is an established
'
food product in many parts of the world, it hasn't taken off to
the same extent in northern Europe. 'That's probably because
people are familiar with its texture, smell and colour and are
put off by this, although I have to say it certainly tastes better
than it looks!' Seamus admits. 'While we're not anticipating it
becoming a staple part of the local diet, i can see it becoming
widely used as a supplement. Seaweed has a strong salty
taste but, ironically, is actually low in salt, so it's more than
likely that salt could be replaced by seaweed granules in many
supermarket ready-meals, for example, and people wouldn't
even notice the difference. '
B Tissue engineer
Dr Mark Post
Animal farming consumes about one-third of the planet's land
area. It may take much more to satisfy the world's insatiable
appetite for meat. A radical solution is required: synthetic
meat Dr Mark Post is at the forefront of this revolution. 'A few
years ago it felt like science fiction to suggest that this would
be viable but we've proved that meat can be reared from stem
cells in a Petri dish rather than on a farm. Bio-engineered meat
could be used in processed meat products like hamburgers,
sausages and meatballs. We are working under the assumption,
which might be naive, that if you let the cells grow under
conditions that are very similar to those in an animal, then they
will recreate the taste of the original animal. Whether that's
true, we'll find out,' Mark confesses. But the outcome is far
from clear. 'There are other people who say you will never be
able to make it taste exactly the same as meat. So there are lots
of sceptics
'
.
rFuture.
rooo
C Plant breeder
Dr Jauhar All
The Green Super Rice (GSR) project is aiming to produce
varieties of rice that are resistant to drought, floods, pests and
do not require chemical fertilisers. At the same time researchers
are identifying varieties which produce higher yields, without
resorting to genetic modification. 'We have already had some
'
success, explains Dr Jauhar All from the International Rice
Research Institute. 'One example is a weed-tolerant GSR
variety, which establishes itself much faster than weeds. This
means the chemicals aren't needed to control the weeds,
which makes it both cheaper to produce and less harmful for
the environment. We've also identified five GSR varieties that
have performed well under severe drought conditions in several
sub-Saharan African countries. Rice production must double in
this region in order to support a rapidly rising population and
we believe GSR technology is the answer. But the production
method is perhaps even more important than the rice itself.
That is because it can be applied to other crops, such as wheat,
that feed millions of people.'
D Professor of oquoculture
Dr Paul Melville
With stocks of other fish species in severe decline, the
popularity of fish like cobia is growing so rapidly that it's
difficult to keep up with demand. Cobia have been successfully
farmed in other parts of the world but where they are kept in
cages in the sea, it causes pollution. Dr Paul Melville believes
aquaculture systems are best operated in big empty spaces
away from coastal areas. One possible location might be the
desert, which, although not usually associated with either fish
or water, is actually ideal, because marine food production
doesn't require freshwater as a resource. ,Increasingly, I'm
sure we will see fish farms operating inland far from the sea. I
believe cobia is preferable to salmon for fish farmers because it
isn't as prone to disease and reaches maturity in half the time.
It can reach a weight of six to ten kilograms in the first year
compared with up to two kilograms for salmon.
'

How a new generation of radical farmers and
food producers are trying to balance the needs
of the environment with the need for increased
productivity.
R Seouueed former
Seamus O'Higgins
Although Seamus has been harvesting red seaweed called
dillisk on the West coast of Ireland for decades to make a
traditional snack, large-scale seaweed farming is a new venture.
'
It has huge potential,' says Seamus. 'It's both plentiful and fast-
growing - an ideal crop. Although seaweed is an established
'
food product in many parts of the world, it hasn't taken off to
the same extent in northern Europe. 'That's probably because
people are familiar with its texture, smell and colour and are
put off by this, although I have to say it certainly tastes better
than it looks!' Seamus admits. 'While we're not anticipating it
becoming a staple part of the local diet, i can see it becoming
widely used as a supplement. Seaweed has a strong salty
taste but, ironically, is actually low in salt, so it's more than
likely that salt could be replaced by seaweed granules in many
supermarket ready-meals, for example, and people wouldn't
even notice the difference. '
B Tissue engineer
Dr Mark Post
Animal farming consumes about one-third of the planet's land
area. It may take much more to satisfy the world's insatiable
appetite for meat. A radical solution is required: synthetic
meat Dr Mark Post is at the forefront of this revolution. 'A few
years ago it felt like science fiction to suggest that this would
be viable but we've proved that meat can be reared from stem
cells in a Petri dish rather than on a farm. Bio-engineered meat
could be used in processed meat products like hamburgers,
sausages and meatballs. We are working under the assumption,
which might be naive, that if you let the cells grow under
conditions that are very similar to those in an animal, then they
will recreate the taste of the original animal. Whether that's
true, we'll find out,' Mark confesses. But the outcome is far
from clear. 'There are other people who say you will never be
able to make it taste exactly the same as meat. So there are lots
of sceptics
'
.
READING FOCUS 10
rFuture.
rooo
C Plant breeder
Dr Jauhar All
The Green Super Rice (GSR) project is aiming to produce
varieties of rice that are resistant to drought, floods, pests and
do not require chemical fertilisers. At the same time researchers
are identifying varieties which produce higher yields, without
resorting to genetic modification. 'We have already had some
'
success, explains Dr Jauhar All from the International Rice
Research Institute. 'One example is a weed-tolerant GSR
variety, which establishes itself much faster than weeds. This
means the chemicals aren't needed to control the weeds,
which makes it both cheaper to produce and less harmful for
the environment. We've also identified five GSR varieties that
have performed well under severe drought conditions in several
sub-Saharan African countries. Rice production must double in
this region in order to support a rapidly rising population and
we believe GSR technology is the answer. But the production
method is perhaps even more important than the rice itself.
That is because it can be applied to other crops, such as wheat,
that feed millions of people.'
D Professor of oquoculture
Dr Paul Melville
With stocks of other fish species in severe decline, the
popularity of fish like cobia is growing so rapidly that it's
difficult to keep up with demand. Cobia have been successfully
farmed in other parts of the world but where they are kept in
cages in the sea, it causes pollution. Dr Paul Melville believes
aquaculture systems are best operated in big empty spaces
away from coastal areas. One possible location might be the
desert, which, although not usually associated with either fish
or water, is actually ideal, because marine food production
doesn't require freshwater as a resource. ,Increasingly, I'm
sure we will see fish farms operating inland far from the sea. I
believe cobia is preferable to salmon for fish farmers because it
isn't as prone to disease and reaches maturity in half the time.
It can reach a weight of six to ten kilograms in the first year
compared with up to two kilograms for salmon.
'

How a new generation of radical farmers and
food producers are trying to balance the needs
of the environment with the need for increased
productivity.
R Seouueed former
Seamus O'Higgins
Although Seamus has been harvesting red seaweed called
dillisk on the West coast of Ireland for decades to make a
traditional snack, large-scale seaweed farming is a new venture.
'
It has huge potential,' says Seamus. 'It's both plentiful and fast-
growing - an ideal crop. Although seaweed is an established
'
food product in many parts of the world, it hasn't taken off to
the same extent in northern Europe. 'That's probably because
people are familiar with its texture, smell and colour and are
put off by this, although I have to say it certainly tastes better
than it looks!' Seamus admits. 'While we're not anticipating it
becoming a staple part of the local diet, i can see it becoming
widely used as a supplement. Seaweed has a strong salty
taste but, ironically, is actually low in salt, so it's more than
likely that salt could be replaced by seaweed granules in many
supermarket ready-meals, for example, and people wouldn't
even notice the difference. '
B Tissue engineer
Dr Mark Post
Animal farming consumes about one-third of the planet's land
area. It may take much more to satisfy the world's insatiable
appetite for meat. A radical solution is required: synthetic
meat Dr Mark Post is at the forefront of this revolution. 'A few
years ago it felt like science fiction to suggest that this would
be viable but we've proved that meat can be reared from stem
cells in a Petri dish rather than on a farm. Bio-engineered meat
could be used in processed meat products like hamburgers,
sausages and meatballs. We are working under the assumption,
which might be naive, that if you let the cells grow under
conditions that are very similar to those in an animal, then they
will recreate the taste of the original animal. Whether that's
true, we'll find out,' Mark confesses. But the outcome is far
from clear. 'There are other people who say you will never be
able to make it taste exactly the same as meat. So there are lots
of sceptics
'
.
READING FOCUS 10
rFuture.
rooo
C Plant breeder
Dr Jauhar All
The Green Super Rice (GSR) project is aiming to produce
varieties of rice that are resistant to drought, floods, pests and
do not require chemical fertilisers. At the same time researchers
are identifying varieties which produce higher yields, without
resorting to genetic modification. 'We have already had some
'
success, explains Dr Jauhar All from the International Rice
Research Institute. 'One example is a weed-tolerant GSR
variety, which establishes itself much faster than weeds. This
means the chemicals aren't needed to control the weeds,
which makes it both cheaper to produce and less harmful for
the environment. We've also identified five GSR varieties that
have performed well under severe drought conditions in several
sub-Saharan African countries. Rice production must double in
this region in order to support a rapidly rising population and
we believe GSR technology is the answer. But the production
method is perhaps even more important than the rice itself.
That is because it can be applied to other crops, such as wheat,
that feed millions of people.'
D Professor of oquoculture
Dr Paul Melville
With stocks of other fish species in severe decline, the
popularity of fish like cobia is growing so rapidly that it's
difficult to keep up with demand. Cobia have been successfully
farmed in other parts of the world but where they are kept in
cages in the sea, it causes pollution. Dr Paul Melville believes
aquaculture systems are best operated in big empty spaces
away from coastal areas. One possible location might be the
desert, which, although not usually associated with either fish
or water, is actually ideal, because marine food production
doesn't require freshwater as a resource. ,Increasingly, I'm
sure we will see fish farms operating inland far from the sea. I
believe cobia is preferable to salmon for fish farmers because it
isn't as prone to disease and reaches maturity in half the time.
It can reach a weight of six to ten kilograms in the first year
compared with up to two kilograms for salmon.
'

How a new generation of radical farmers and
food producers are trying to balance the needs
of the environment with the need for increased
productivity.
R Seouueed former
Seamus O'Higgins
Although Seamus has been harvesting red seaweed called
dillisk on the West coast of Ireland for decades to make a
traditional snack, large-scale seaweed farming is a new venture.
'
It has huge potential,' says Seamus. 'It's both plentiful and fast-
growing - an ideal crop. Although seaweed is an established
'
food product in many parts of the world, it hasn't taken off to
the same extent in northern Europe. 'That's probably because
people are familiar with its texture, smell and colour and are
put off by this, although I have to say it certainly tastes better
than it looks!' Seamus admits. 'While we're not anticipating it
becoming a staple part of the local diet, i can see it becoming
widely used as a supplement. Seaweed has a strong salty
taste but, ironically, is actually low in salt, so it's more than
likely that salt could be replaced by seaweed granules in many
supermarket ready-meals, for example, and people wouldn't
even notice the difference. '
B Tissue engineer
Dr Mark Post
Animal farming consumes about one-third of the planet's land
area. It may take much more to satisfy the world's insatiable
appetite for meat. A radical solution is required: synthetic
meat Dr Mark Post is at the forefront of this revolution. 'A few
years ago it felt like science fiction to suggest that this would
be viable but we've proved that meat can be reared from stem
cells in a Petri dish rather than on a farm. Bio-engineered meat
could be used in processed meat products like hamburgers,
sausages and meatballs. We are working under the assumption,
which might be naive, that if you let the cells grow under
conditions that are very similar to those in an animal, then they
will recreate the taste of the original animal. Whether that's
true, we'll find out,' Mark confesses. But the outcome is far
from clear. 'There are other people who say you will never be
able to make it taste exactly the same as meat. So there are lots
of sceptics
'
.
READING FOCUS 10
rFuture.
rooo
C Plant breeder
Dr Jauhar All
The Green Super Rice (GSR) project is aiming to produce
varieties of rice that are resistant to drought, floods, pests and
do not require chemical fertilisers. At the same time researchers
are identifying varieties which produce higher yields, without
resorting to genetic modification. 'We have already had some
'
success, explains Dr Jauhar All from the International Rice
Research Institute. 'One example is a weed-tolerant GSR
variety, which establishes itself much faster than weeds. This
means the chemicals aren't needed to control the weeds,
which makes it both cheaper to produce and less harmful for
the environment. We've also identified five GSR varieties that
have performed well under severe drought conditions in several
sub-Saharan African countries. Rice production must double in
this region in order to support a rapidly rising population and
we believe GSR technology is the answer. But the production
method is perhaps even more important than the rice itself.
That is because it can be applied to other crops, such as wheat,
that feed millions of people.'
D Professor of oquoculture
Dr Paul Melville
With stocks of other fish species in severe decline, the
popularity of fish like cobia is growing so rapidly that it's
difficult to keep up with demand. Cobia have been successfully
farmed in other parts of the world but where they are kept in
cages in the sea, it causes pollution. Dr Paul Melville believes
aquaculture systems are best operated in big empty spaces
away from coastal areas. One possible location might be the
desert, which, although not usually associated with either fish
or water, is actually ideal, because marine food production
doesn't require freshwater as a resource. ,Increasingly, I'm
sure we will see fish farms operating inland far from the sea. I
believe cobia is preferable to salmon for fish farmers because it
isn't as prone to disease and reaches maturity in half the time.
It can reach a weight of six to ten kilograms in the first year
compared with up to two kilograms for salmon.
'

How a new generation of radical farmers and
food producers are trying to balance the needs
of the environment with the need for increased
productivity.
R Seouueed former
Seamus O'Higgins
Although Seamus has been harvesting red seaweed called
dillisk on the West coast of Ireland for decades to make a
traditional snack, large-scale seaweed farming is a new venture.
'
It has huge potential,' says Seamus. 'It's both plentiful and fast-
growing - an ideal crop. Although seaweed is an established
'
food product in many parts of the world, it hasn't taken off to
the same extent in northern Europe. 'That's probably because
people are familiar with its texture, smell and colour and are
put off by this, although I have to say it certainly tastes better
than it looks!' Seamus admits. 'While we're not anticipating it
becoming a staple part of the local diet, i can see it becoming
widely used as a supplement. Seaweed has a strong salty
taste but, ironically, is actually low in salt, so it's more than
likely that salt could be replaced by seaweed granules in many
supermarket ready-meals, for example, and people wouldn't
even notice the difference. '
B Tissue engineer
Dr Mark Post
Animal farming consumes about one-third of the planet's land
area. It may take much more to satisfy the world's insatiable
appetite for meat. A radical solution is required: synthetic
meat Dr Mark Post is at the forefront of this revolution. 'A few
years ago it felt like science fiction to suggest that this would
be viable but we've proved that meat can be reared from stem
cells in a Petri dish rather than on a farm. Bio-engineered meat
could be used in processed meat products like hamburgers,
sausages and meatballs. We are working under the assumption,
which might be naive, that if you let the cells grow under
conditions that are very similar to those in an animal, then they
will recreate the taste of the original animal. Whether that's
true, we'll find out,' Mark confesses. But the outcome is far
from clear. 'There are other people who say you will never be
able to make it taste exactly the same as meat. So there are lots
of sceptics
'
.
 READING FOCUS 10
rFuture.
rooo
C Plant breeder
Dr Jauhar All
The Green Super Rice (GSR) project is aiming to produce
varieties of rice that are resistant to drought, floods, pests and
do not require chemical fertilisers. At the same time researchers
are identifying varieties which produce higher yields, without
resorting to genetic modification. 'We have already had some
'
success, explains Dr Jauhar All from the International Rice
Research Institute. 'One example is a weed-tolerant GSR
variety, which establishes itself much faster than weeds. This
means the chemicals aren't needed to control the weeds,
which makes it both cheaper to produce and less harmful for
the environment. We've also identified five GSR varieties that
have performed well under severe drought conditions in several
sub-Saharan African countries. Rice production must double in
this region in order to support a rapidly rising population and
we believe GSR technology is the answer. But the production
method is perhaps even more important than the rice itself.
That is because it can be applied to other crops, such as wheat,
that feed millions of people.'
D Professor of oquoculture
Dr Paul Melville
With stocks of other fish species in severe decline, the
popularity of fish like cobia is growing so rapidly that it's
difficult to keep up with demand. Cobia have been successfully
farmed in other parts of the world but where they are kept in
cages in the sea, it causes pollution. Dr Paul Melville believes
aquaculture systems are best operated in big empty spaces
away from coastal areas. One possible location might be the
desert, which, although not usually associated with either fish
or water, is actually ideal, because marine food production
doesn't require freshwater as a resource. ,Increasingly, I'm
sure we will see fish farms operating inland far from the sea. I
believe cobia is preferable to salmon for fish farmers because it
isn't as prone to disease and reaches maturity in half the time.
It can reach a weight of six to ten kilograms in the first year
compared with up to two kilograms for salmon.
'

How a new generation of radical farmers and
food producers are trying to balance the needs
of the environment with the need for increased
productivity.
R Seouueed former
Seamus O'Higgins
Although Seamus has been harvesting red seaweed called
dillisk on the West coast of Ireland for decades to make a
traditional snack, large-scale seaweed farming is a new venture.
'
It has huge potential,' says Seamus. 'It's both plentiful and fast-
growing - an ideal crop. Although seaweed is an established
'
food product in many parts of the world, it hasn't taken off to
the same extent in northern Europe. 'That's probably because
people are familiar with its texture, smell and colour and are
put off by this, although I have to say it certainly tastes better
than it looks!' Seamus admits. 'While we're not anticipating it
becoming a staple part of the local diet, i can see it becoming
widely used as a supplement. Seaweed has a strong salty
taste but, ironically, is actually low in salt, so it's more than
likely that salt could be replaced by seaweed granules in many
supermarket ready-meals, for example, and people wouldn't
even notice the difference. '
B Tissue engineer
Dr Mark Post
Animal farming consumes about one-third of the planet's land
area. It may take much more to satisfy the world's insatiable
appetite for meat. A radical solution is required: synthetic
meat Dr Mark Post is at the forefront of this revolution. 'A few
years ago it felt like science fiction to suggest that this would
be viable but we've proved that meat can be reared from stem
cells in a Petri dish rather than on a farm. Bio-engineered meat
could be used in processed meat products like hamburgers,
sausages and meatballs. We are working under the assumption,
which might be naive, that if you let the cells grow under
conditions that are very similar to those in an animal, then they
will recreate the taste of the original animal. Whether that's
true, we'll find out,' Mark confesses. But the outcome is far
from clear. 'There are other people who say you will never be
able to make it taste exactly the same as meat. So there are lots
of sceptics
'
.
READING FOCUS 10
rFuture.
rooo
C Plant breeder
Dr Jauhar All
The Green Super Rice (GSR) project is aiming to produce
varieties of rice that are resistant to drought, floods, pests and
do not require chemical fertilisers. At the same time researchers
are identifying varieties which produce higher yields, without
resorting to genetic modification. 'We have already had some
'
success, explains Dr Jauhar All from the International Rice
Research Institute. 'One example is a weed-tolerant GSR
variety, which establishes itself much faster than weeds. This
means the chemicals aren't needed to control the weeds,
which makes it both cheaper to produce and less harmful for
the environment. We've also identified five GSR varieties that
have performed well under severe drought conditions in several
sub-Saharan African countries. Rice production must double in
this region in order to support a rapidly rising population and
we believe GSR technology is the answer. But the production
method is perhaps even more important than the rice itself.
That is because it can be applied to other crops, such as wheat,
that feed millions of people.'
D Professor of oquoculture
Dr Paul Melville
With stocks of other fish species in severe decline, the
popularity of fish like cobia is growing so rapidly that it's
difficult to keep up with demand. Cobia have been successfully
farmed in other parts of the world but where they are kept in
cages in the sea, it causes pollution. Dr Paul Melville believes
aquaculture systems are best operated in big empty spaces
away from coastal areas. One possible location might be the
desert, which, although not usually associated with either fish
or water, is actually ideal, because marine food production
doesn't require freshwater as a resource. ,Increasingly, I'm
sure we will see fish farms operating inland far from the sea. I
believe cobia is preferable to salmon for fish farmers because it
isn't as prone to disease and reaches maturity in half the time.
It can reach a weight of six to ten kilograms in the first year
compared with up to two kilograms for salmon.
'

How a new generation of radical farmers and
food producers are trying to balance the needs
of the environment with the need for increased
productivity.
R Seouueed former
Seamus O'Higgins
Although Seamus has been harvesting red seaweed called
dillisk on the West coast of Ireland for decades to make a
traditional snack, large-scale seaweed farming is a new venture.
'
It has huge potential,' says Seamus. 'It's both plentiful and fast-
growing - an ideal crop. Although seaweed is an established
'
food product in many parts of the world, it hasn't taken off to
the same extent in northern Europe. 'That's probably because
people are familiar with its texture, smell and colour and are
put off by this, although I have to say it certainly tastes better
than it looks!' Seamus admits. 'While we're not anticipating it
becoming a staple part of the local diet, i can see it becoming
widely used as a supplement. Seaweed has a strong salty
taste but, ironically, is actually low in salt, so it's more than
likely that salt could be replaced by seaweed granules in many
supermarket ready-meals, for example, and people wouldn't
even notice the difference. '
B Tissue engineer
Dr Mark Post
Animal farming consumes about one-third of the planet's land
area. It may take much more to satisfy the world's insatiable
appetite for meat. A radical solution is required: synthetic
meat Dr Mark Post is at the forefront of this revolution. 'A few
years ago it felt like science fiction to suggest that this would
be viable but we've proved that meat can be reared from stem
cells in a Petri dish rather than on a farm. Bio-engineered meat
could be used in processed meat products like hamburgers,
sausages and meatballs. We are working under the assumption,
which might be naive, that if you let the cells grow under
conditions that are very similar to those in an animal, then they
will recreate the taste of the original animal. Whether that's
true, we'll find out,' Mark confesses. But the outcome is far
from clear. 'There are other people who say you will never be
able to make it taste exactly the same as meat. So there are lots
of sceptics
'
.
READING FOCUS 10
rFuture.
rooo
C Plant breeder
Dr Jauhar All
The Green Super Rice (GSR) project is aiming to produce
varieties of rice that are resistant to drought, floods, pests and
do not require chemical fertilisers. At the same time researchers
are identifying varieties which produce higher yields, without
resorting to genetic modification. 'We have already had some
'
success, explains Dr Jauhar All from the International Rice
Research Institute. 'One example is a weed-tolerant GSR
variety, which establishes itself much faster than weeds. This
means the chemicals aren't needed to control the weeds,
which makes it both cheaper to produce and less harmful for
the environment. We've also identified five GSR varieties that
have performed well under severe drought conditions in several
sub-Saharan African countries. Rice production must double in
this region in order to support a rapidly rising population and
we believe GSR technology is the answer. But the production
method is perhaps even more important than the rice itself.
That is because it can be applied to other crops, such as wheat,
that feed millions of people.'
D Professor of oquoculture
Dr Paul Melville
With stocks of other fish species in severe decline, the
popularity of fish like cobia is growing so rapidly that it's
difficult to keep up with demand. Cobia have been successfully
farmed in other parts of the world but where they are kept in
cages in the sea, it causes pollution. Dr Paul Melville believes
aquaculture systems are best operated in big empty spaces
away from coastal areas. One possible location might be the
desert, which, although not usually associated with either fish
or water, is actually ideal, because marine food production
doesn't require freshwater as a resource. ,Increasingly, I'm
sure we will see fish farms operating inland far from the sea. I
believe cobia is preferable to salmon for fish farmers because it
isn't as prone to disease and reaches maturity in half the time.
It can reach a weight of six to ten kilograms in the first year
compared with up to two kilograms for salmon.
'

How a new generation of radical farmers and
food producers are trying to balance the needs
of the environment with the need for increased
productivity.
R Seouueed former
Seamus O'Higgins
Although Seamus has been harvesting red seaweed called
dillisk on the West coast of Ireland for decades to make a
traditional snack, large-scale seaweed farming is a new venture.
'
It has huge potential,' says Seamus. 'It's both plentiful and fast-
growing - an ideal crop. Although seaweed is an established
'
food product in many parts of the world, it hasn't taken off to
the same extent in northern Europe. 'That's probably because
people are familiar with its texture, smell and colour and are
put off by this, although I have to say it certainly tastes better
than it looks!' Seamus admits. 'While we're not anticipating it
becoming a staple part of the local diet, i can see it becoming
widely used as a supplement. Seaweed has a strong salty
taste but, ironically, is actually low in salt, so it's more than
likely that salt could be replaced by seaweed granules in many
supermarket ready-meals, for example, and people wouldn't
even notice the difference. '
B Tissue engineer
Dr Mark Post
Animal farming consumes about one-third of the planet's land
area. It may take much more to satisfy the world's insatiable
appetite for meat. A radical solution is required: synthetic
meat Dr Mark Post is at the forefront of this revolution. 'A few
years ago it felt like science fiction to suggest that this would
be viable but we've proved that meat can be reared from stem
cells in a Petri dish rather than on a farm. Bio-engineered meat
could be used in processed meat products like hamburgers,
sausages and meatballs. We are working under the assumption,
which might be naive, that if you let the cells grow under
conditions that are very similar to those in an animal, then they
will recreate the taste of the original animal. Whether that's
true, we'll find out,' Mark confesses. But the outcome is far
from clear. 'There are other people who say you will never be
able to make it taste exactly the same as meat. So there are lots
of sceptics
'
.
READING FOCUS 10
rFuture.
rooo
C Plant breeder
Dr Jauhar All
The Green Super Rice (GSR) project is aiming to produce
varieties of rice that are resistant to drought, floods, pests and
do not require chemical fertilisers. At the same time researchers
are identifying varieties which produce higher yields, without
resorting to genetic modification. 'We have already had some
'
success, explains Dr Jauhar All from the International Rice
Research Institute. 'One example is a weed-tolerant GSR
variety, which establishes itself much faster than weeds. This
means the chemicals aren't needed to control the weeds,
which makes it both cheaper to produce and less harmful for
the environment. We've also identified five GSR varieties that
have performed well under severe drought conditions in several
sub-Saharan African countries. Rice production must double in
this region in order to support a rapidly rising population and
we believe GSR technology is the answer. But the production
method is perhaps even more important than the rice itself.
That is because it can be applied to other crops, such as wheat,
that feed millions of people.'
D Professor of oquoculture
Dr Paul Melville
With stocks of other fish species in severe decline, the
popularity of fish like cobia is growing so rapidly that it's
difficult to keep up with demand. Cobia have been successfully
farmed in other parts of the world but where they are kept in
cages in the sea, it causes pollution. Dr Paul Melville believes
aquaculture systems are best operated in big empty spaces
away from coastal areas. One possible location might be the
desert, which, although not usually associated with either fish
or water, is actually ideal, because marine food production
doesn't require freshwater as a resource. ,Increasingly, I'm
sure we will see fish farms operating inland far from the sea. I
believe cobia is preferable to salmon for fish farmers because it
isn't as prone to disease and reaches maturity in half the time.
It can reach a weight of six to ten kilograms in the first year
compared with up to two kilograms for salmon.
'

How a new generation of radical farmers and
food producers are trying to balance the needs
of the environment with the need for increased
productivity.
R Seouueed former
Seamus O'Higgins
Although Seamus has been harvesting red seaweed called
dillisk on the West coast of Ireland for decades to make a
traditional snack, large-scale seaweed farming is a new venture.
'
It has huge potential,' says Seamus. 'It's both plentiful and fast-
growing - an ideal crop. Although seaweed is an established
'
food product in many parts of the world, it hasn't taken off to
the same extent in northern Europe. 'That's probably because
people are familiar with its texture, smell and colour and are
put off by this, although I have to say it certainly tastes better
than it looks!' Seamus admits. 'While we're not anticipating it
becoming a staple part of the local diet, i can see it becoming
widely used as a supplement. Seaweed has a strong salty
taste but, ironically, is actually low in salt, so it's more than
likely that salt could be replaced by seaweed granules in many
supermarket ready-meals, for example, and people wouldn't
even notice the difference. '
B Tissue engineer
Dr Mark Post
Animal farming consumes about one-third of the planet's land
area. It may take much more to satisfy the world's insatiable
appetite for meat. A radical solution is required: synthetic
meat Dr Mark Post is at the forefront of this revolution. 'A few
years ago it felt like science fiction to suggest that this would
be viable but we've proved that meat can be reared from stem
cells in a Petri dish rather than on a farm. Bio-engineered meat
could be used in processed meat products like hamburgers,
sausages and meatballs. We are working under the assumption,
which might be naive, that if you let the cells grow under
conditions that are very similar to those in an animal, then they
will recreate the taste of the original animal. Whether that's
true, we'll find out,' Mark confesses. But the outcome is far
from clear. 'There are other people who say you will never be
able to make it taste exactly the same as meat. So there are lots
of sceptics
'
.
READING FOCUS 10
rFuture.
rooo
C Plant breeder
Dr Jauhar All
The Green Super Rice (GSR) project is aiming to produce
varieties of rice that are resistant to drought, floods, pests and
do not require chemical fertilisers. At the same time researchers
are identifying varieties which produce higher yields, without
resorting to genetic modification. 'We have already had some
'
success, explains Dr Jauhar All from the International Rice
Research Institute. 'One example is a weed-tolerant GSR
variety, which establishes itself much faster than weeds. This
means the chemicals aren't needed to control the weeds,
which makes it both cheaper to produce and less harmful for
the environment. We've also identified five GSR varieties that
have performed well under severe drought conditions in several
sub-Saharan African countries. Rice production must double in
this region in order to support a rapidly rising population and
we believe GSR technology is the answer. But the production
method is perhaps even more important than the rice itself.
That is because it can be applied to other crops, such as wheat,
that feed millions of people.'
D Professor of oquoculture
Dr Paul Melville
With stocks of other fish species in severe decline, the
popularity of fish like cobia is growing so rapidly that it's
difficult to keep up with demand. Cobia have been successfully
farmed in other parts of the world but where they are kept in
cages in the sea, it causes pollution. Dr Paul Melville believes
aquaculture systems are best operated in big empty spaces
away from coastal areas. One possible location might be the
desert, which, although not usually associated with either fish
or water, is actually ideal, because marine food production
doesn't require freshwater as a resource. ,Increasingly, I'm
sure we will see fish farms operating inland far from the sea. I
believe cobia is preferable to salmon for fish farmers because it
isn't as prone to disease and reaches maturity in half the time.
It can reach a weight of six to ten kilograms in the first year
compared with up to two kilograms for salmon.
'