EU agriculture needs science-based policies to tackle food security and climate change threat
The urgent need for science-based decision-making at an EU level was the central theme of a major debate on the importance of pesticides in tackling the food security threat at a key industry gathering in Barcelona on 23 September.
Hosted by the Crop Protection Association, the debate took place at the AgChem Forum on the eve of the adoption of the controversial new EU Pesticide Authorisation Regulation.
Panellists Robert Sturdy MEP, Dr Ian Denholm of Rothamsted Research and Professor Witzke of the University of Berlin all highlighted the growing threat to European food production as a result of global population growth, climate change and declining land, energy and water resources.
But speakers also warned that EU farmers’ ability to respond to these challenges would be seriously constrained without access to the most advanced developments in agricultural technology, including pesticides.
Professor Witzke emphasised that with rising oil costs and increased demand for crops for both food and fuel use, prices of key agricultural commodities could rise by anything between 72-207% over next 30 years.
Dr Denholm raised concerns about the increase in pest resistance in key crops across Europe, a situation which would be made far worse by the loss of vital crop protection products under the hazard-based cut-off criteria in the new EU Pesticide Authorisation Regulation.
Mr Sturdy said all the EU institutions, including the Commission and the Parliament, had failed in their responsibility to carry out a proper, science-based assessment of the real impact of the cut-off measures on agriculture and food production in Europe
Closing the debate, CPA Chief Executive Dominic Dyer said the current situation was a huge wake-up call for the crop protection sector and EU policy-makers.
"As an industry, we need to position ourselves as environmental stewards and move forward with a vision of how we develop technologies to enable more efficient use of land, water and energy for agriculture in Europe, which is critical to tackling the food security and climate change threat. By taking forward this positive vision of our industry alongside our food chain partners we will be better able to shape future EU policy in the crop protection sector.
"But we also look to the EU to strengthen the independent scientific advice it receives. We welcome the pledge by newly re-elected EU Commission President Jose Manuel Borroso to appoint an EU Chief Scientist with a brief to co-ordinate and scrutinise scientific advice across the Commission. That commitment must now be turned into action through a fundamental review of the way Europe’s institutions access and use scientific advice," said Mr Dyer.
