Farming needs to become ‘smarter, leaner, cleaner’
EU Farm Commissioner Phil Hogan told an animal science conference in Belfast that the agricultural sector “must become smarter, leaner and cleaner” in the future.
Hogan was addressing 1,500 delegates at the 67 th European Federation of Animal Science conference held in the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.
He admitted targets set by the European Union had been missed and that agricultural research had become a low priority.
The Commissioner said: “Concerns over commodity prices, food security and climate change have emphasised how vital it is to invest in agricultural research and innovation.
“We know that the sector must become smarter, leaner and cleaner. To meet these challenges head-on, we will require more knowledge, and better knowledge.
“Knowledge that enables us to build a more competitive and sustainable European primary production; knowledge to protect the environment and develop new value chains in vibrant rural areas; knowledge to cater for the varied needs of our hugely diverse agri-food systems and territories.
“We know we need this knowledge, but it is fair to say that, as a result of the various crises which confronted the European Union in the last decade, we fell behind on our targets, and allowed agricultural research to become a lower priority.
“However, there is a resurgent conviction at European level to change this fact, and we have taken strong steps to back innovation in the sector in recent years.
“First and foremost, we doubled our investment in the field under Horizon 2020, the EU programme for research and innovation.
“And secondly, we took the crucial decision to make knowledge and innovation a central plank of our rural development policy.
“This means that every EU member state and eligible region can prioritise innovation and research in the delivery of their rural development funding.
“The fundamentals of European agriculture are sound. We produce the best, safest and healthiest food and drink products in the world. Our Common Agricultural Policy has been guaranteeing our continent’s food security for several generations,” he said.