The European Commission (EC) has published its vision for the future of Europe's agriculture and food sector. It sets out a roadmap to make the sector more competitive, resilient to future challenges and attractive. Key elements of the vision include proposals to significantly reduce red tape, increase digitalisation and innovation in the sector.

„Farmers are at the heart of the EU's food production system. It is only because of their hard work every day that we have safe and high quality food. But farmers face increasing challenges from global competition and climate change. That's why today we have presented a strategy to make farming more attractive, resilient and sustainable," said EC President Ursula von der Leyen.

Vision welcomed

Zita Varanavičienė, head of the association „CropLife Lietuva", said that the sector generally welcomes the vision presented by the EC.

„Today, Europe's agri-food sector suffers from over-regulation and unjustified bans, which stifle innovation in Europe. This undermines the productivity and competitiveness of EU agriculture. To get back on the road to growth and efficiency, we need to rely more on scientific breakthroughs and increase the use of digital technologies. Reducing bureaucracy is also a key issue. Let's hope that the main ambitions presented in the vision will not remain on paper and that the sector will see important changes that will be significant for the future of farms," says Z. Varanavičienė.

By 2025, the EC promises to come forward with a concrete package of proposals to simplify the agricultural legislative framework and an EU digital strategy for agriculture to promote the transition to digital solutions on farms.

„It is encouraging to see that in this vision, the European Commission clearly identifies the importance of digitisation for the future of agriculture. Modern technologies, artificial intelligence and other digital solutions are enabling the development of precision farming, which allows for greater operational efficiency and sustainability on farms. Among the expected innovations in the near future – are digital labels for food protection products, – says Z. Varanavičienė.

In the vision presented, the EC also talks about the development of plant biotechnology. It stresses the importance of addressing the use of new genomic technologies (NGT or gene scissor technologies) in plant breeding. According to the head of „CropLife Lietuva“, Europe is almost the last region where the use of NGTs is banned, as it is equivalent to the creation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

„This also has a negative impact on Europe's competitiveness. In other countries, the use of NHPs is leading to the faster development of new varieties of plants that are more resistant, more efficient or have better characteristics. And then we import these products into Europe instead of developing and growing them ourselves. It is hoped that NGT will soon be legalised, especially as this "gene scissors" approach to plant breeding is the same as what happens naturally in nature and has nothing to do with GMOs," says Z. Varanavičienė.

Focus on dialogue and biopesticide development

The EC's vision for the agri-food sector also focuses on the use of plant protection products. The Community intends to accelerate the market approval of biopesticides. At the same time, the EC has expressed its commitment to look more closely at any further bans on pesticides that would leave farmers without alternative means of plant protection.

„In general, the EC envisages a more intensive dialogue with farmers and other interest groups and the application of a "reality test" to bans, i.e. an assessment of the real impact of any new bans or regulations. This is very important because some of the decisions taken by politicians and officials have been more detrimental to the sector and its competitiveness than beneficial," explains Z. Varanavičienė. She also hopes that cutting red tape will also facilitate the introduction of new, innovative plant protection products, both synthetic and biological, which will allow farmers to effectively protect their crops, reduce food waste and increase sustainability.

In addition to these areas, the EC's vision for the agri-food sector outlines other important priorities. These include making the sector more attractive by ensuring stability and fair incomes and a level playing field for farmers, as well as encouraging young people to take up farming. Priorities include enhancing regional viability and development, reducing food waste and combining climate change mitigation with food security. The EC also believes that farmers should be adequately compensated for adopting environmentally friendly practices.

Concerns

Although generally positive about the vision presented, the head of „CropLife Lietuva“ sees room for improvement. For example, the EC proposes to prohibit the production and export to other markets of plant protection products that are not approved on the EU market.

„We understand the European Commission's desire to ensure high standards, but such restrictions undermine the EU's potential to become a cradle of agricultural innovation. For example, EU companies could develop effective and safe pesticides to protect pineapples or other crops not grown in Europe. However, in theory, the EU would not be able to export such pesticides because they would not be approved in Europe simply because pineapples do not grow in Europe. In our view, this ban is an unnecessary restriction on EU innovators and producers and should be reconsidered," said Ms Varanavičienė.