DEFRA secretary of state Owen Paterson has reiterated his support for GM, stating that UK growers could 'fall behind other countries' if the technology isn't embraced in the coming years.

Speaking at the Oxford Farming Conference yesterday, Paterson told delegates that GM was crucial in feeding a rising world population, and that he believes there needs to be less scaremongering views around the subject.

Paterson explained: 'GM needs to be considered in its proper overall context with a balanced understanding of the risks and benefits.

'We owe a duty to the public to reassure them that GM is both a safe and beneficial innovation.'

In 2011, 16 million farmers in 29 different countries grew GM products on 160 million hectares of land - 11 per cent of the world's arable land - and Paterson believes that the EU now needs to push on with legislation for GM technology.

Mairead McGuinness, MEP, echoed Paterson's views and in her presentation stated that publicly funded GM research would increase support among a general public which remains 'sceptical' about private companies.

She said: 'Spain has some GM, and in Ireland we are using it to test blight-resistant potatoes.

'It is clear that GM can reduce the need for pesticides and fuel costs, the battle is in ensuring the British public that the technology is safe.'

Furthermore, the new DEFRA secretary of state acknowledged the severity of recent flooding for British farmers and pledged an investment of £2.3 billion in flood prevention schemes this year, as well as a renewed investment in R&D, in which the government currently invests over £410 million annually for the food and drink sector.

Paterson confirmed that he is working closely with science minister David Willets to ensure that the Agri-Tech Strategy has a positive impact on R&D for the UK fresh produce industry.