Brussels, 22/04/2016 (Agence Europe) - The EU and its member states must adapt their legislation and offer better incentives to small, young and family farmers to make most of newly available technologies and apply innovative solutions on the ground, says the report by Jan Huitema (ALDE, Netherlands) adopted by the European Parliament's agriculture committee on Thursday 21 April (see EUROPE 11467 on the agriculture committee debate).
MEPs stress in the report (adopted by 29 votes to 7, with 3 abstentions) that innovation in agriculture can reduce its ecological footprint, increase farmers' global competitiveness and boost employment in rural areas.
The committee calls for the common agricultural policy (CAP) to be simplified, made more flexible, better aligned with the circular economy. MEPs argue, too, for the CAP to be adequately funded. They also call on the Commission to encourage more extensive use of information and communication technologies and stimulate precision agriculture to make farming more environmentally sustainable and the sector more competitive.
Supply chain. To support small and medium-sized family farms and encourage young people with novel ideas and business models to start farming, MEPs want to improve their access to finance, technology and support programmes. They also push for: - innovation in food supply chain that would distribute risks more evenly; - establishment of new agrifood value chains with more direct contact between producers and consumers, stronger focus on innovative products and more transparent marketplace that could provide new incomes streams for farmers.
Better cooperation is also needed among food chain operators to do away with food wastage, MEPs say. Food wastage is estimated by the FAO to amount to 100 million tonnes in Europe or 30%-50% of food produced in the EU. MEPs want to update old regulatory frameworks to encourage innovative ways of processing food waste.
More sustainable production. To encourage prudent use of natural resources and ensure biodiversity, productions systems must be revised through, for instance, better-adapted crop and rotation systems and improved management systems, the committee recommends. MEPs call for innovative solutions for capturing emissions and increasing energy efficiency and underline importance of agro-forestry in reducing flooding and soil erosion.
The committee also called on the Commission to ensure current EU legislation facilitates development of innovative breeding techniques, which is vital for new and diverse varieties with higher yields and for reducing environmental impact of conventional agriculture. Breeding sector SMEs must have access to biological material, stress MEPs, who also deplore the decision of the European Patent Office (EPO) to grant patents to products obtained from essentially biological processes. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)