Challenges and Opportunities for Horticulture and Priorities for Horticultural Research at the start of the Twenty-First Century

The production and marketing of horticultural crops is undergoing continuous change globally. This is due to the growing demands of consumers for safe and healthy foods, increased urbanisation of societies, the growth in scale and influence of supermarkets, the corporatisation of farming, changes in the availability of labour and the low priority given to food production by governments. Horticultural science can respond to many of these challenges through research and innovation that can seek to gain more efficient methods of crop production, refined post-harvest storage and handling methods, newer and higher value cultivars, demonstration of health benefits, and newer methods of knowledge dissemination. INTRODUCTION Horticulture and the closely associated horticultural sciences are critical elements of modern society in most developed countries and in many developing countries around the world. The contributions of horticultural crops, and their related industries, to society at large are very considerable, generally taken for granted but often poorly understood or acknowledged. These contributions include: • The ongoing provision of safe, healthy and nutritious food, generally to a very high quality and in abundant quantities in many countries; • The provision of many essential vitamins and minerals, assisting consumers to achieve a balanced diet; • The contributions to economies through export-related activities and the sophistication associated with all elements of the supply chain. This is becoming increasingly important in developing countries who are contributing more frequently to food supply to developed countries, especially in Europe and North America; • The viability of rural communities directly through employment and the sustainability of service provision—so retaining populations that justify the delivery of services such as health and education; • Overall wealth generation through the activities of those involved with production, processing, marketing, servicing, and related sectors • The contributions to leisure, sport and recreational activities through specialised areas such as turf management, landscaping and the creation and management of private and public parks and gardens.