On 23 November 2017, the ESA Secretariat took part in the Agri-Food Chain Coalition (AFCC) event ‘Innovation is good news – opening eyes to resource efficiency in the European agri-food chain’. The meeting has been organized to highlight the importance of innovation in the agri-food sector showing its role in improving food security, driving resource efficiency and encouraging sustainable agriculture.
MEP Czesław Adam Siekierski, Chair of the EP AGRI Committee, was the one opening the discussion saying “In order to meet society’s increasing demands of balancing productivity with environmental protection, European farmers are under increasing pressure to produce the safe, healthy and affordable food for 500 million consumers in a resource efficient and climate friendly manner. While such societal expectations are fully understandable, it is incumbent upon policymakers to create an environment where new technologies and innovation are embraced. Without these elements, European farmers will not be able to meet the global challenges of feeding a growing population while safeguarding natural resources”.
His speech was followed by case studies delivered by Aleksandra Małyska, Executive Manager of the European Technology Platform ‘Plants for the Future’, Jan Venneman, General Secretary of the Farm Animal Breeding and Reproduction Technology Platform and Rebeca Fernández, Coordinator of the ‘Food for Life’ European Technology Platform.
It is important that each sector is provided with the opportunity to drive innovation to contribute to a sustainable development in the future.
The AFCC calls on the EU institutions to ensure innovation is at the heart of EU agri-food policy making, and to provide mechanisms fostering growth, investment, and innovation in the EU agri-food sector, which will enable us to use resources more efficiently and sustainably.
Source: ESA
