b'Unwanted Consequences Despite Good IntentionsINDUSTRY INVESTS BILLIONSof Euros each yearirrespective of their public or private organisational in research and innovation, much of which goes onaffiliations.generating scientific evidence to demonstrate that newIn this way, policymakers and regulators would be products and technologies are safe. However, industryable to access the best available expertise and scien-is also increasingly criticized for paying for science thattific evidence, with a clear understanding of associated furthers its own economic interests. Consequently,vested interests, from wherever they originate.policy makers and regulators are under pressure to relyThe European Green Deal sets out to make Europe, instead on so-called independent science. Europeanthe worlds first climate-neutral continent by 2050iii, policymakers appear increasingly shy to enter dialoguesupported by the vast majority of stakeholders. The EU PAUL LEONARDwith industry experts and even public domain scien- Commissions Farm to Fork Strategy lies at the heart of Director,tists who have collaborated with industry. the European Green Deal and aims to, make food sys-Governmental AffairsThe resultant exclusion of commercial organizationstems fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly.ivThere EU, BASF Agriculturalfrom actively contributing to policymaking and sci- is also a high level of agreement that European science Solutions entific guidance development has now escalated to aand innovation will be essential to achieve these impor-level where individual companies scientific expertise istant and ambitious sustainability targets.increasingly not heard by European policymakers.Industry has repeatedly signaled its commitment to It is clearly in societys interest to ensure policyinnovate in support of both Green Deal and the Farm makers are not biased by commercial conflicts ofto Fork Strategy sustainability objectives. However, the interest, but systematic exclusion of industry expertisecurrent lack of scientific impact assessment to inform cannot be the answer. In reality, scientists tend to bepolicymaking is causing increasing concern, here in paid by someone, whether it is companies, govern- Europe and from our international agricultural trading ments, research councils, consultancies, foundationspartners. Many stakeholders, including the EU Council, or philanthropists, all of which could have their ownEU Parliament, and the private sector, have repeatedly perspectives, biases and conflicts of interest. It is there- called on the EU Commission to conduct a holistic evi-fore necessary to move beyond superficial notions ofdence-based impact assessment on the Farm to Fork independence to a more pragmatic, constructive andStrategy, and in particular on its quantitative reduction balanced approach. Conflicts of interest should betargets. The EU Commission has however refused to made transparent so decision makers can benefit fromdo so, on the basis that it is a political strategy and is the best available expertise, insights and evidence,not legislative, committing instead to conduct impact rather than denying access to valuable practical experi- assessments on individual draft legislative measures, ence from the private sector. later in the process.Two things should be done to overcome this problem:Surely it would be better to harness the wealth of 1. Robust criteria should be agreed to assure theexperience, scientific evidence, and good will from all quality of scientific evidence used in regulation or sectors, including innovative companies, to gain the policymaking, such as those recently proposed by Sirbest possible understanding of how innovation could Colin Berryi and promoted by the European Regulationhelp achieve sustainability, and to avoid unforeseen and Innovation Forumii, and and unwanted consequences, before it is too late. SW 2. Rules for transparency and conflict of interest should be established and applied to those who gener-ate or use scientific evidence to inform policymakers,i Berry Sir Colin Frameworks for evaluation and integration of data in regulatory evaluations: The need for excellence in regulatory toxicology, Toxicology Research and Application, Volume 4, 2020. ii https://www.eriforum.eu/uploads/2/5/7/1/25710097/erif_-_com_20_-_scientific_integrity_principles_21.pdf iiihttps://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_en ivhttps://ec.europa.eu/food/horizontal-topics/farm-fork-strategy_en72/ SEEDWORLD.COMFEBRUARY 2022'