The approval of a biotechnology reform bill by the European Parliament last month was hailed as a major step forward to allow “new genomic technologies” such as gene editing to be used in crop breeding in Europe.
While the bill still faces an uphill battle to become law across the European Union, the vote is an example of policymakers embracing new technologies in agriculture due to concerns about climate shocks, biodiversity loss and maintaining access to affordable, nutritious food, said Emily Rees, president and CEO of CropLife International.
Rees traveled from CropLife’s headquarters in Brussels to Winnipeg, Manitoba, this week to attend the 2024 Crop Conference, hosted by the Canadian Grains Council and the Canola Council of Canada.
“What we’re seeing is a new embrace of innovation and technology in the agricultural discussion, and I don’t think this is unique to Europe,” she told RealAgriculture in an interview after her keynote (you can watch/listen to the interview below).
Rees says that in his meetings with policymakers around the world, he is seeing emerging debate and new understanding about the role of agriculture and the technologies needed to increase yields in the wake of conflict and climatic shocks such as severe drought.
At the same time, she worries about a backlash against new agricultural tools and technologies on the trade front as farmers struggle to stay competitive with exports from other countries.As part of her presentation, Riis shared a photo of farm tractors blocking a road near her office in Brussels.
“The protests that we’re seeing, not just in Europe but around the world, are purely driven by issues of competitiveness,” she said, noting that many of the protesting farmers are seeking a level playing field with regards to government import policies. “Pointing at the outside world and pointing out imports is a reaction to that. It’s an unfortunate protectionist reaction, but it’s certainly a trend that’s prevalent around the world.”
While there was a lot of discussion about agriculture at last week’s World Trade Organization ministerial meeting in Abu Dhabi, Rees said he was disappointed that no progress was made in discussing trade barriers that hinder food security.
Rees said Canada has always been a strong convening role on the international stage, adding that he sees an opportunity for Canada to bring like-minded countries together when it comes to agricultural technology and rules-based trade.
“I believe Canadian negotiators have been resolute in their work, but encouragement from the farming community is always welcome,” she noted.
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