Almost 50% of the EU territory is covered by farmland (both arable land and permanent grassland) leaving a key role for agriculture to play in land management and bestowing a big responsibility in the preservation of natural resources. The EU Commission calls the desired relationship between agriculture and the environment “sustainable agriculture” and calls for management of natural resources in a way which ensures that their benefits are also available for the future. European Seed took a deep dive into Sustainable Agriculture and sat down with Marc Cornelissen, Sustainability Lead for Seeds and Traits at BASF, and President of the European Technology Platform (ETP) “Plants for the Future” to get his take on the topic. This is the second article in the two-part series on Sustainable agriculture in Europe.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this interview article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of BASF
ES: Marc, sustainable agriculture is not only good for the environment, but also has several other benefits. Can you give some examples?
MC: Indeed, a transition to sustainability is commonly associated with environmental benefits. As stated in the first communication of the Green Deal, this transition is about a culture shift and has at least a 30-year time frame. Whereas the endpoint may sound revolutionary, the migration to sustainability will need to proceed evolutionary so that at all times a changing societal demand is met by the output of a changing supply chain. This transition will encompass a rejuvenation of the entire agricultural value chain: we will see an increased incorporation of new technology, of digital approaches, of high-profile jobs, of new value propositions and business models, and of new product types leading to the formation of new industry structures.
Moreover, such transition may lead to a new generation of tech-savvy farmers, which would breathe new life into a profession that is slowly ageing: in 2016 about one third of the EU farmers were over the age of 651. We may also anticipate a greater diversity of products the consumer is already familiar with and that offer benefits in nutrition, taste and other sensory qualities. In addition, future agriculture is expected to provide a totally new range of biorefining products that are deeply embedded in the bioeconomy and range from large volume chemical precursors to high-end materials for manufacturing or medical applications.
A main task I see is to get the communication on this topic streamlined: we should think in line with the 2050 goals of the Green Deal, and make near-time opportunities and situations more tangible: What does digital farming anno 2025 and 2030 mean? How to deal with biorefining options anno 2030? What skillsets would an EU farmer need by 2030? What would be the main concerns of NGOs by 2030? Getting a grip on how the new world may unfold, would create timely engagement of entrepreneurs, help direct risk funding and policy development, and pave the way for new directions in education. There are ample short-term actions we could take today to make the future of agriculture promising and that could address several of the negative impacts on the environment and be at the basis of a flourishing bio-based economy offering welfare to society.
ES: In terms of genetics and plant breeding, what are the main changes that need to be made?
MC: The lasting goals of plant breeding are known as “yield”, “yield” and “yield”, and a farmer’s move to more sustainable practices, is pro forma not changing this. Farm productivity is the result of a complex equation between choice of crop genetics, seed quality and preparation, field conditions, resource availability, pest and disease occurrence, applied agricultural practices, weather, both on a day-to-day level and on a climate level, and historic farming choices. The challenge is thus to decompose “farm productivity” and derive insight into which aspects have the greatest impact on sustainability, can be technically approached by breeding and/or agronomy, and o