Russia will lead fight against food shortage and benefit from biotech

It has been strongly argued that Russia can be a vital force in combatting a widespread food shortage which is now of critical proportions. More free trade, selective intervention and bio-technology could be much-needed blessings to farmers now and in the future.

Syngenta's Chief Operating Officer, John Atkin, has said in an interview that the world economic crisis has pushed the food shortage off centre-stage, but it hasn't gone away. Food production needs to be doubled by 2050 and, with hectares of land and plenty of live stock at the disposal of Russian farmers, there is great potential to bring the situation under control.

It is also important to help other countries produce their own food. This will be achieved by reduced trade barriers, public investment and selective intervention.

Russia also plans to boost grain production by 50% in the next 10-15 years, and Atkin has argued that it does not need genetically modified crops to do this. In the long term, bio-technology could be very helpful but it is problematic that the development of this is slow outside the Americas. Atkin said the country also could help ease the global food crisis by "reducing barriers to trade" and implementing "selective use of intervention."