Innovation

Innovation

ELO believes strongly that only continuous innovation in the agricultural sector can deliver the results needed for Europe’s land managers; a flourishing farm business at a time of climate change and unstable markets, better results for our ecosystems, and plenty of safe food for Europe’s demanding consumers.

To meet these challenges, the modern farm business should not just embrace the latest tools and technologies, but also work out his or her own innovative practices. This quest, therefore, does not just take place in the laboratories of agricultural industries, but very much in the fields of our members.

Over the last few years, the EU has shown increased support to integrate the concept of innovation into European policy. The new CAP has funds additionally reserved for agricultural innovation, which is most welcome, and we welcome the investment that is planned for the Green New Deal that will help farmers utilize technology to achieve sustainability.

In 2019, ELO continued to push for more and better access to agricultural innovation. We continued to push for broad access to plant breeding innovation tools and urged the institutions to come together and revise the current Directive on GM, a necessary step in allowing these tools to be used safely by our members. In 2020, we will therefore push the new European Parliament and Commission to employ the legal and political tools that will clarify the ambiguities left by the ECJ decision and to create as broad a field as is legally possible for these tools to be used in Europe.