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Food security and the role of European agriculture and food in sustainable global food production were the main topics of today's informal meeting of EU Agriculture Ministers in Prague.
Ministers agreed that the EU must now act in a coordinated way to maximise sustainable increases in agricultural production and accelerate the use of modern techniques in agriculture.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the lingering effects of the pandemic and advancing climate change are having a major impact on global food security and world food prices.
Science, innovation and modern plant breeding methods in agriculture were among the main topics of the meeting. It included contributions by Czech experts Professor Miroslav Trnka and Roman Hobza, Ph.D. Both said that new trends can help the EU in reducing the use of pesticides and fertilisers, in water management or in breeding new varieties more resistant to extreme weather fluctuations and new plant pests and diseases. The Ministers agreed that the EU must react as quickly as possible to the development of modern trends and not hinder innovation. It is therefore important to change the outdated legislative framework by which the EU regulates the use of modern plant breeding methods. This framework not only restricts European farmers, but also leads to an outflow of top experts to countries outside the European Union, so the damage is extraordinary.
September 16, 2022/ Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
https://czech-presidency.consilium.europa.eu
