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    Home > Food News > Food Articles > EU Conference of Ministers of Agriculture: enhancing food security; Crops that are resistant to drought, frost and pest and disease are urgently needed

    EU Conference of Ministers of Agriculture: enhancing food security; Crops that are resistant to drought, frost and pest and disease are urgently needed

    • Last Update: 2022-09-30
    • Source: Internet
    • Author: User
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    Ministry of Agriculture Food Security Food
     
    The Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and intensifying climate change are having a major impact on
    global food security and world food prices.
    Agriculture ministers said that while ensuring sustainability, one of the main solutions to achieving adequate food production is to use innovation, research and modern technologies, including precision agriculture, to further reduce the consumption
    of pesticides and fertilizers.
     
    "Although the EU has enough food, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian conflict have deepened the world food crisis
    .
    We in the EU face a major challenge to sustainably increase agricultural production, reduce food waste and ensure that people around the world have access to quality food
    .
    Perhaps it is time to reconsider some of the traditional methods of food production to support new modern technologies," Czech Agriculture Minister Zdeněk Nekula said
    in a statement.
     
    Science and innovation
    Science and innovation
     
    Both Trnka and Dr Roman Hobza said the new trends could help the EU reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers, as well as help water management or breed new varieties
    that are more resistant to extreme weather fluctuations and new plant pests and diseases.
    Ministers agreed that the EU must respond to current trends as soon as possible and not hinder innovation
    .
    It is therefore important to change the outdated legislative framework within which the EU regulates the use of modern plant breeding methods, which not only restricts European growers, but also leads to the exodus of top experts to countries outside the EU, making the losses extraordinary
    .
    Pest
     
    "Despite the negative impact of the war in Ukraine on food production, commodity markets, energy prices and all of us, as an EU we cannot afford to let it go
    .
    We urgently need drought-resistant, frost-resistant, disease- and pest-resistant crops that require fewer pesticides and fertilizers," Nekula said, noting that he was "pleased" that the EU Commissioner for Agriculture made it clear that the European Commission is ready to propose legislation on plant breeding in the short term, which will help solve the current problem
    .
     
    The situation in Ukraine and the export of goods
    The situation in Ukraine and the export of goods
     
    In terms of food security and food distribution, Ukraine's Minister of Agriculture Mykola Solskyi summed up the challenges
    that Ukraine currently faces in this area.
    He also stressed the importance of the EU-promoted solidarity corridor and called for its further expansion
    .
    Since Russian troops occupied several ports in Ukraine, grain from Ukraine had to be transported
    by other routes.
     
    According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, nearly 40% of Africa's total wheat imports come from Russia and Ukraine
    .
    The World Food Programme feeds about 125 million people, and 50 percent of its food comes from Ukraine
    .
    The Solidarity Channel does make sense and we will discuss the possibility of expanding and strengthening it as a separate theme at the Council in Brussels on September 26," Nekula said
    .
     
    EU measures and the current environment
    EU measures and the current environment
     
    In order to ensure food security in the context of the war in Ukraine, the EU is developing an action plan called the "Solidarity Channel" to promote the export
    of Ukrainian goods by land and inland waterways.
    In addition, the elimination of tariffs on Ukrainian products imported into the EU helps to solve this problem, for example, goods can be more easily shipped to African countries
    .
    In addition to providing emergency assistance to the most vulnerable sectors, using as much agricultural land as possible for food production and exempting next year's crop rotation should also help European growers
    .
    The EU is also providing financial support
    to countries that are currently at the greatest risk.
     
    In 2021, as many as 828 million people will be affected by hunger
    .
    In 2020 alone, about 4 billion tons of food were produced globally, but about 1.
    3 billion tons of food were wasted
    .
    As the world's population continues to grow, more needs to be done to sustainably increase agricultural production and reduce food waste
    .
    This article is an English version of an article which is originally in the Chinese language on echemi.com and is provided for information purposes only. This website makes no representation or warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness ownership or reliability of the article or any translations thereof. If you have any concerns or complaints relating to the article, please send an email, providing a detailed description of the concern or complaint, to service@echemi.com. A staff member will contact you within 5 working days. Once verified, infringing content will be removed immediately.

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