The Government needs to back "planet-friendly UK farming" to deal with the changes that lie ahead for the sector.
This is according to Friends of the Earth's Senior Food Campaigner Vicki Hird, who commented as Lord Smith announced that the potential opportunities of genetically modified (GM) crops should be explored.
Ms Hird said despite decades of research into this method of food production, there has not been one commercially available GM crop produced that is able to tolerate drought, salt, or comes with enhanced nutrition or other benefits.
These were "long promised by biotech companies", she added.
Lord Smith's remarks were made on day two of the National Farmers' Union conference. He said it was crucial to understand the implications of taking a novel approach to farming and using new systems, such as satellites and nanotechnology, to do so.
"We need to ensure that science is at the forefront of development and innovation and that effective knowledge transfer means farmers can adapt and innovate," he concluded.
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