Experts have identified three principles to help the transition towards more sustainable agricultural systems which meet the goals of the European Union’s Green Deal in a report which envisions how agriculture will be likely to evolve in the short, medium and long term.
The report comes from the Plants for the Future European Technology Platform and includes contributions from researchers at Scotland’s James Hutton Institute (JHI). European Technology Platforms (ETP) are designed to be ‘champions for growth’, with the Plants for the Future ETP seeking to support the transition to more sustainable and innovative agricultural systems that remain within planetary boundaries.
The JHI website reports that to actively contribute to this transition, the Plants for the Future ETP established a multi-stakeholder working group on sustainable agriculture comprising experts from academia, the seed and breeding industry, agricultural service providers and the farming community.
The aim of the working group was to consider, from a plant sector perspective, “the challenges, and opportunities of agricultural value chains in a holistic way, while developing a vision for future systems spanning food, feed, and biobased raw materials”.
The group has identified three main and interdependent drivers that “should be developed in parallel and which will enable the transition towards more environmentally and socio-economically sustainable agricultural systems”. These comprise:
Dr Roy Neilson, senior soil scientist at JHI and co-vice-chair of the Plants for the Future working group, told the James Hutton website: “The report outlines the recommendations for research and innovation needed to support the transition towards more sustainable agricultural systems to meet the goals of the EU Green Deal and envisions how agriculture will likely transition in the short, medium and long term.
“The research is clearly aligned with the Institute’s vision and research, and there are several projects highlighted in the document that Hutton either lead or is a project partner. We look forward to engaging with stakeholders to deliver future agricultural sustainability.”
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