Soil quality 'climbs political agenda'

The balance to be found between protecting soil quality and biodiversity and increasing the productivity of available land has been discussed in a government report.

The UK Food Security Assessment dossier highlighted the importance of the country moving away from its reliance on imported food in a document which could reignite the debate regarding the pros and cons of genetic modification.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs secretary Hilary Benn said that last year's unexpected rise in oil and food prices gave the international community a "wake-up call" and that radical changes to how the country produces and consumes its food are necessary.

"While we know the price of our food, the full environmental costs and the costs to our health are significant and hidden," he said.

In related news, the Victoria Star reported earlier this year that a New Brunswick community in Canada has started using an electronic atlas for soil conservation and planning purposes.

Written by Claire Manning