EuropaBio says biotech can help Europe reach CO2 reduction targets

EuropaBio, the pan-European biotech industry body, has released a briefing paper describing how agricultural biotechnology could be applied to help Europe reach its carbon reduction targets and assist farmers to better adapt to a shifting climate. The paper was released at a round table on climate change at the European Parliament.

Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, MEP, one of the speakers at the roundtable, said, “Agriculture biotech definitely has a role to play in Europe’s fight against climate change. With over ten years experience of commercial biotech planting, it is very important to have an open and balanced debate in Europe on the contribution that modern agriculture technologies could make to help European farmers face today’s challenges.”

Europe wants and needs to meet the ever-increasing demand for food while mitigating the effects of agriculture on climate change. Agricultural biotech can contribute to this by reducing the production of greenhouse gases, helping crops adapt to varied and often adverse environments and increasing yields while using fewer hectares of land and other inputs.

“If we want to feed people and create a viable bio-based economy without destroying our resources, we must use science and technology to support agriculture” said Willy De Greef, Secretary General of EuropaBio.

 “European farmers must be given the right to choose to grow GM crops. The benefits from agricultural biotech will only be seen in Europe as genetically modified crops are more widely adopted and farmers are given the right to choose to grow them,” he concluded.

Paper on Green Biotechnology & Climate Change.