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THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW Highlighting best practice 36 | ENVIRONMENTAL CROP MANAGEMENT E nvironmental Crop Management (ECM), established in 1991 and based in Warrington, is the UK's leading commercial practitioner of integrated crop management. This system helps farmers to produce profitable food that is safe and healthy, without damaging the environment. We have demonstrated that profitability, respect for biodiversity and best environmental practice can be mutually compatible. Our approach, which addresses many issues currently facing agriculture, has been adopted by 1200 farmer-clients in North West England and by the rest of the Crest Group, a national consortium of independent agronomy companies. World food production needs to double within 25 years to cope with current population projections, at a time when climate change, water shortages and agricultural-land depletion will make this very difficult. We need safe food, but without sound agronomy the required increase in production cannot be achieved. The crop-protection industry is poorly understood, and struggles against a barrage of negative propaganda that, if successful, could lead to a potato famine like those seen in the1840s. The public is unaware of the unseen and unreported threats posed to their food supply by weeds, pests and diseases, which are dealt with quietly and safely. Farmers and agronomists carefully manage crops to minimise potential losses and guarantee supply of food to the supermarket shelves. With such monumental challenges facing agriculture, speed of response is critical. Of course, for optimal environmental and consumer safety we need a well-regulated system that monitors all aspects of crop protection. But we also need a predictable Environmental Crop Management » Established in 1991 » The leading commercial practitioner of integrated crop management in the UK » 1200 farmer-clients in the North West » Committed to working with farmers in a way that combines profitability with best environmental practice » Focuses on producing high-quality food while respecting biodiversity » Shows that crop science and conservation can go hand in hand Treated potato blight Untreated potato blight ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL CROP MANAGEMENT