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, reports ProAgro Group with reference to Council of EU.
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. Agriculture ministers mainly discussed how to ensure sufficient food production and distribution to the most vulnerable countries, while ensuring sustainability.
One of the main solutions is to use innovation, research and modern technologies, including precision farming, to further reduce pesticide and fertiliser consumption while maintaining the necessary productivity.
“Although there is enough food in the European Union, the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine have deepened the food crisis in the world. We have a major challenge in the Union to sustainably increase agricultural production, reduce food waste and ensure that people around the world have access to quality food. It may be time to rethink some traditional approaches to food production in favour of new modern techniques,” said Agriculture Minister Zdeněk Nekula.
