A PANEL of agricultural experts at a farming conference in Malvern agreed that genetically modified crops are the answer to feeding the world.

Chaired by BBC head of rural affairs and Countryfile presenter Tom Heap, the Three Counties Farming Conference on the Three Counties showground discussed the contentious subject of GM food with a panel including Graham Brookes, agricultural economist and consultant from PG Economics Ltd, Helen Ferrier, NFU chief science and regulatory affairs advisor, Mark Lynas, author and former anti GM activist, and Professor Denis Murphy of the University of South Wales.

Professor Murphy maintained the UK is vastly out of line with the rest of the world when it comes to policy and opinion on the use and regulation of GM crops, but this sceptical attitude is starting to change. He said GM crops can improve food quality, are disease resistant and can cope with climate change. He added: "On an island where the population is growing but the available land to produce food isn’t, something has to change to cope with demand."

Mark Lynas had a unique take on the issue, having once been an anti-GMO activist. He agreed with the rest of the panel that GM is a polarizing issue, but the positives cannot be denied. He added: "I believe farmers should be given the choice and the environmental community has the whole issue back to front. There are 850 million malnourished people in the world and with dwindling resources GM can literally help feed the world."

Mr Brookes said there is currently a 50/50 split across developing and developed countries. He added: "My findings showed there is no denying the results when comparing the yield gains against the cost savings. GM technology shows a reduction in production risks, a decreased need for insecticide use and consequently more environmentally friendly farming methods." However, despite the panel’s unanimous vote, the audience was left a little more undecided.

Three Counties chief executive Ken Nottage said: "Each year the farming conference brings together the agricultural community from far and wide to discuss real topics facing farmers today. This year’s conference examined the hot topic of GM crops, a subject that is particularly pertinent at present in the light of Brexit and the resulting potential change in legislation we may see. This year we were delighted to hear from a panel of such pedigree, each of whom offered helpful insights on the issue."

New for 2016 was the introduction of afternoon workshops from a collection of top names in the industry. These included Ali Capper of the NFU, looking at the impact of Brexit on the farming world, and Keith Wellings of the Rural Payments Agency, who delivered an update on the basic payment schedule, while Farm491 looked at agritech innovators and how to apply technology to agriculture. The afternoon conference also welcomed Nuffield Scholars Chris Lloyd, who gave a talk on improving financial management for smaller farmers, and Michael Miller, who investigated grass management relating to all-winter grazing.

The evening conference commenced with the presentation of the Young Agricultural Entrepreneur of the Year Award, which was presented to Lewis Steed of The Dartmoor Shepherd, who received a cheque for £3,000.