by As we try to balance the challenges of tackling climate change, promoting healthy diets and empowering farmers’ livelihoods, one thing is clear: sustainable agriculture is the only way to ones.
These three major challenges encompass the three dimensions of sustainability — social, environmental and economic.
The key question is, are we doing enough? Despite significant recent progress, it is clear that much more needs to be done.
It is clear that we need the support of the European Union to strengthen food security, to face important challenges in the agricultural sector, and to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. I know I’m not the only one saying this, but it still bears repeating.
Now is not the time to offer weak assurances about “pesticide-free agriculture”, spread inaccuracies about new technologies on the horizon, or reduce complex issues to oversimplification.
Simply put, the stakes are too high, the issues too complex and the world too fragile. This is not about promoting catchy slogans; it means taking concrete steps towards a sustainable agricultural system in the future.
As a supporter of sustainable agriculture, I have seen firsthand our sector’s adoption of innovative solutions that are more environmentally friendly.
Our vision for farming is clear: it requires technology, collaboration and results-based policies that embrace innovation and empower farmers.
This transition is both scary and complex, a true paradigm shift in the way we approach food production. But it is a necessary transition if we are to provide for a growing global population while conserving our planet’s resources.
Turning challenges into opportunities
I strongly believe that EU policy makers are crucial in the transition to sustainable agriculture.
We need a policy framework that encourages agreed outcomes and gives farmers enough flexibility to implement the best solutions for their specific land conditions and needs.
Firstly, this requires the approval of a new generation of pesticides. Yes, we still believe that pesticides are still one of the most effective solutions for farmers to protect their crops from pests and diseases.
But, for example, we urgently need new regulatory pathways to allow biopesticides. Biopesticides offer farmers fantastic alternatives to some conventional pesticides.
That’s why our members have pledged to invest €4 billion by 2030 to develop and bring new and more effective biopesticides to market. To date, our sector has invested €1.75bn to develop innovative new bio-pesticides.
Europe is lagging behind — but that can change
However, when it comes to biopesticides, the EU lags far behind other competitive agricultural markets. It takes 7 years, on average, to bring a biocide to market in the EU, compared to 2-3 years elsewhere.
In addition, the return on investment in Europe is 30% below the global average for biopesticides. This leaves Europe at a significant competitive disadvantage — and explains why these solutions are not readily available in the EU.
We also need more digital and precise agricultural tools to reduce the environmental footprint of farming practices and enable farmers to use resources more efficiently.
This new technology has huge potential, but it needs political will and financial support to make it happen. For example, farmers in other regions of the world have access to use drones to apply pesticides on the spot, while in the EU drones still fall under the category of aircraft and therefore applications are illegal.
In addition, we expect a pragmatic and evidence-based legislative framework for plants developed by New Genomic Techniques.
Other regions are already benefiting from this plant technology: in the US, we have a high oleic soybean that is 80% higher in oleic acid, and 20% less in saturated fatty acids.
Meanwhile, Japan developed and approved a biotech tomato high in GABA, an amino acid known for its benefits to human health.
Let farmers succeed
From ensuring food security and the affordability of raw materials to strengthening resilience to climate change, sustainability presents challenges and opportunities for EU agriculture.
We must turn the challenges into opportunities. We believe that our sector is part of the solution and that we have the innovations to tackle some of the challenges we face.
We are therefore calling on EU policy makers to give farmers access to a comprehensive set of farming tools — the “full toolbox”. Farmers need real, practical solutions. By offering the right kind of support, we can help them farm smarter and in doing so, improve their sustainability.
Sometimes, it’s about sharing knowledge; other times, it involves private partnership solutions or a strong regulatory framework.
What is clear is that without collaboration and a shared vision, we will not find any long-term solutions. We must work together to overcome the challenges and seize the opportunities that sustainable agriculture presents. Our sector is fully committed to this objective and ready to collaborate with all stakeholders towards this common goal.
This is an open invitation, one that I hope will be accepted. As I said, the stakes are too high, the issues too complex, and the world is too dependent on us taking the right actions to work in silos, or in isolation — or worse, to be divided .
By working together, we can make a significant impact on our environment, the livelihoods of our farmers, and ultimately, the future of our planet.
Olivier de Matos is the Director General of CropLife Europe. He is also the former Secretary General of the European Center for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals (ECETOC).
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