EU unveils plan to help farmers embrace innovation

New research and innovation partnerships, faster risk assessment and innovation-friendly regulations are all on the table as the European Commission plans a new EU strategic approach to research and innovation for more competitive and sustainable agricultural systems.

The proposals are included in the Commission’s Vision for Agriculture and Food, published last week. The roadmap, which builds on the strategic dialogue on the future of EU agriculture and other recent reports, talks up the “transformative power” of research and innovation for Europe’s agri-food system.

In order to pool resources, talent and infrastructure the Commission envisages “further strengthening existing public-public and public-private research and innovation partnerships, and considering new ones.” This is despite repeatedly insisting the number of partnerships needs to be drastically reduced in FP10.

Strengthening public-private partnerships is essential for driving innovation, according to Claus Felby, senior vice president for biotech at Novo Nordisk Foundation, which funds health and sustainability research.

In particular, he cites the Agriculture of Data partnership due to be launched before the end of Horizon Europe. This “provides an opportunity for the EU to lead the way in terms of utilising data and AI to accelerate innovation and the transition of agriculture,” he told Science|Business.

Advanced digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, are also flagged up in the roadmap. When combined with data, these can “revolutionise” the way food is produced and reduce farmers’ costs, it says. However, the adoption of digital tools lags behind in agriculture due to perceived high costs, lack of digital skills and trust, absence of tailored solutions, and connectivity issues, it adds.

New genomic techniques

Plant breeding innovations, including new genomic techniques (NGT) that alter the genetic material of plants in a faster and more precise way than conventional transgenics, will also be key to Europe’s food security, according to the Commission.

A 2023 proposal to relax rules for NGTs is currently stalled in the Council. The Commission warns that the EU must urgently implement the proposals to ensure a level playing field with other regions currently adapting their legislation.

MEP Jessica Polfjärd, Parliament’s rapporteur for the proposal, is hopeful the Council will soon decide on its position so that farmers can begin using the technology. “NGT in agriculture is vital for the future of farming. It can help make our crops more resilient to climate change, reduce the need for plant protection products and fertilisers, and enhance the competitiveness of European farmers, all while lowering emissions,” she told Science|Business.

However, the current proposal on its own is not enough, says Anne-Gaëlle Collot, industrial biotechnology director at trade association EuropaBio. She points out that the proposal under discussion focuses only on NGT plants, whereas the Commission’s vision for agriculture also mentions the potential of NGT for microorganisms, which can reduce the need for synthetic fertilisers.

“We would like to see a further proposal for microorganisms that is product based, proportionate, and up to date with scientific and technological progress,” Collot said.

As part of a simplification package to come towards the end of the year, the Commission will also put forward a proposal to accelerate access to the EU market for biopesticides derived from natural materials. Meanwhile, the European Food Safety Authority “will have to be reinforced with additional resources to speed up risk assessment procedures.”

That is good news for industry, which has been complaining of lengthy authorisation processes in Europe compared to other regions. Risk assessment processes should also be adapted to the current state of knowledge, says Collot. “There are areas where improvements are needed in terms of proportionality, efficiency and streamlining.”

Farm but no fork

When it comes to food systems, the EU executive acknowledges resistance to change in some member states. Europe must retain its edge in innovation in food technology, biotechnology and biomanufacturing, in order “to remain a world leader in food innovation,” it says. “At the same time, certain food innovation is sometimes seen as a threat to the traditions and culture across Europe.”

There should be an “enhanced dialogue” and “better knowledge” so that “innovations can be assessed in an inclusive way that also considers social, ethical, economic, environmental and cultural aspects of food innovation.”

The strongest opposition in recent years has been to meat cultivated from animal cells. In January 2024, 12 member states supported a note submitted to the Council that said lab-grown meat is “a threat to primary farm-based approaches and genuine food production methods.”

In its roadmap, the Commission promises to develop a plan to address the bloc’s reliance on imported proteins, looking at the way protein is produced and consumed in the EU. It’s unclear whether alternative plant-based or cell-based proteins will be part of that future strategy.

According to Felby, the push to develop the bioeconomy is encouraging, but the focus on agriculture with little mention of food and nutrition is a missed opportunity. “If the Commission is serious about building a sustainable agricultural future for Europe, we must ensure that funding for research and innovation is directed towards both agricultural practices and food production and processing,” he said

With public research and innovation budgets coming under strain across Europe, Felby suggests closer collaboration between the Commission and philanthropic organisations such as his own would help to leverage science and innovation.

Adoption by farmers

The Commission’s plan highlights the need to involve farmers to enable faster adoption of innovative solutions. For example, it says the Horizon Europe mission on soil should continue its work in bringing together researchers, farmers and other actors in living laboratories, where innovative practices for healthy soils are tested.

The co-creation of knowledge and innovation in local experimentation sites should be scaled up, while “sandboxes” to test regulatory changes alongside new technologies, and innovation procurement, should also be part of the strategy, the Commission says.

Education and capacity-building initiatives are vital, says Felby. “It is not just about developing new technologies, but also about ensuring that these innovations are accessible, scalable and beneficial to all stakeholders, including smallholder farmers.”

MEP Polfjärd also welcomed the acknowledgement that innovations and knowledge must reach farmers and food suppliers faster. “Farmers are the first to face the impacts of climate change, and it’s crucial that they have access to the right tools to cultivate resilient crops capable of withstanding extreme weather events,” she said.

The agricultural world will also need to reduce its own impact on the environment. The sector is currently responsible for more than 10% of the EU's total greenhouse gas emissions.

The Commission roadmap recognises the need for the sector to contribute to Europe’s climate targets and is a good starting point, but it is vague about how to get there, Sven Harmeling, head of climate at Climate Action Network Europe, told Science|Business.

Technological solutions will have a role to play in reducing emissions and using resources such as water more efficiently, but they cannot replace structural changes such as reducing livestock numbers and changing food consumption habits, he warned.

This makes the plans over-reliant on technological fixes. “To some extent, it’s a business-as-usual industrial agricultural strategy, adding some sustainability innovations and technologies to it, and that’s not sufficient,” Harmeling said.

The plans mark a departure from the Commission’s Farm to Fork strategy in the last mandate, which came up against opposition from farmers and produced few tangible results. The new focus on supporting farmers includes a promise to reform the Common Agricultural Policy to move away from conditions and towards incentives.