Biotech Updates

Europe's Current Approach to Food, Agriculture, and the Environment Not Sustainable, say European National Science Academies

May 2, 2018

The European national science academies along with the InterAcademy Partnership called for European policy-makers to urgently re-think their approach to food and agriculture saying that Europe's current approach is not sustainable.

During the launch of the report Opportunities and Challenges for Research on Food and Nutrition Security and Agriculture in Europe at the Palais des Académies in Brussels on April 26, 2018, the national science academies said EU policy makers need to implement a food systems approach to address negative impacts of climate change on food systems and encourage healthy, environmentally sustainable diets. The national science academies also recommend using the latest agricultural practices and technologies that could serve sustainability, which remains critical to the future of food in Europe. They call on European policy makers not to stall on technology, including the products based on genomics innovations.

"A food systems approach is critical to tackling some of the most pressing issues of our day, such as climate change, sustainable land and water use, food waste, and of course human health," said Professor Joachim von Braun, Co-Chair of the EASAC-IAP project on food and agriculture, and Director of the Center for Development Research (ZEF) and Professor of Economic and Technological Change at the University of Bonn.

For more details, read the press release at the EASAC website.