Change advocated for the European food system
A new report published by the European Science
Foundation (ESF) and the European Cooperation in the Field of
Scientific and Technical Research (COST) calls for Europe to take a new
approach on food security. This new approach should prioritise health
and sustainability in research and use a holistic view in policy
making.
Entitled 'Forward look: European food systems in a changing world',
the report was jointly chaired by Peter Raspor of University of
Ljubljana, Slovenia, and Rudy Rabbinge from Wageningen University in
the Netherlands. They write: 'The past few decades have seen dramatic
changes in European food systems. The next few decades may be as
radical but the direction that future developments take can be
initiated, influenced or mitigated when the right decisions [are made]
by policy makers.'
More specifically, the report claims that a productive, more
environmentally friendly, and internationally more acceptable European
food system is tenable. European policy makers should make clear
choices based on well-defined objectives and goals. Europe should
change policies that either undermine agricultural development in
developing countries or promote unsustainability spirals in terms of
land, water and natural resources use. Food chains in Europe should be
seen as integrated and whole, rather than disparate, individual
activities.
The rapidly growing awareness of major global issues such as
climate change and shifts in energy policy are raising fundamental
concerns about Europe's food security in relation to other needs of
society ('competing claims'). This means that both the complementary
parts making up Europe's food systems and the system as a whole
urgently need to be upgraded, renewed and strengthened, according to
the authors. New technologies, management methods, policies and
institutional arrangements are needed, to increase food availability
and access by all sections of societies to food - while reducing the
environmental impact of the food chain.
The authors of the report also identify five megatrends which have
affected the interaction of agriculture, the food chain and society
over the past five decades and are predicted to remain influential in
future: productivity increase, the changing nature of agricultural
production, vertical integration of the food chain, wider production
objectives, and the growing connection of food nutrition and health.
These have influenced and shaped all the processes in a food chain,
from growing to harvesting, processing, packaging, transporting,
consumption, and disposal.
Until now, research has been largely concentrated on technical and
policy issues for individual sectors rather than considering potential
scenarios for highly integrated food chains. Combining this traditional
research with an overall, holistic view of the system, continues the
report, will lead to a better understanding of the issue. Additionally,
explorative studies are likely to be very helpful for policy makers and
generate data which can be useful in designing policy and a research
agenda for the future of European food systems.
The 'Forward look' report also identified other key research
priorities for national and European agencies: research on food
security in the context of the European food system, as well as
enhanced consideration of food safety and the links between food and
human health.
The researchers explained: 'The role of science in this interesting
field may be best characterised as that of an honest broker. Scientists
and science may help to explore various options to clarify particular
developments, to help generate closer insights and knowledge, and to
expand scientific contributions to food production, processing,
packaging and distribution to meet a strong changing demand from
consumers and retail organisations.'
Source: Community R&D Information Service (CORDIS)