Increased production of fruit and vegetables in the east and south east of England would be unlikely to bring more employment, as there is scope for use of machinery for many of the required horticultural operations and, where labour is required, farmers would probably rely on casual workers.  Pressure would increase on water supplies because of the need to irrigate crops.

Professor Bruce Traill said: Undoubtedly the UK Government has a duty to promote the health of the population and within this research project we have been looking at the most effective ways of doing that, whether by fiscal measures, social marketing, or by trying to enhance the nutritional qualities of the foods that people eat.  There is potential in all of these approaches, if they are targeted effectively

But we do also have to consider the potential unintended consequences of policies.  For rural communities, such as the dairying industry of south west England and upland areas of the UK these could be far-reaching and need to be taken into account.

Results from the research will be among the presentations at The Future of Rural Land Use conference on Thursday 4 June 2009, at Congress House, Great Russell Street in London.

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