ISAAA; September 21, 2022

During an informal meeting of EU Agriculture Ministers in Prague on September 16, 2022, the main topics were food security and the role of European agriculture and food in sustainable global food production. The Ministers agreed that the EU must now act to maximize sustainable increases in agricultural production and accelerate the use of modern techniques in agriculture.

The meeting was chaired by Czech Agriculture Minister Zdeněk Nekula and attended by Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski, NGO representatives, the European Parliament, academics, and the Ministers of Agriculture of Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova. Minister Zdeněk Nekula said that while there is enough food in the European Union, the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine have deepened the food crisis in the world. "It may be time to rethink some traditional approaches to food production in favor of new modern techniques," he added.

Science, innovation, and modern plant breeding methods in agriculture were among the main topics of the meeting. The Ministers agreed that the EU must react as quickly as possible to develop modern trends and not hinder innovation. This also calls for changes in the outdated legislative framework by which the EU regulates the use of modern plant breeding methods. According to the Ministers, this framework not only restricts European farmers but also leads top experts to countries outside the European Union.

For more details, read the press release from the website of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union.