The House of Lords Sub-Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment, published a report on Thursday (7th July) which stated that the communication of knowledge and further investment in research must be at the forefront of every EU Member State’s agricultural policy.

The report, the conclusion of a one-year investigation into agricultural innovation, reported that more of the €400 billion CAP budget should be shifted away from direct payments and into further scientific research into agricultural practices; of the budget, only €2 billion currently goes into research.

Labour MP Lord Carter, spokesperson for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment EU sub-committee said that this is not enough, with the prospect of challenges to food and water security and a growing world population to feed within the next few years.

Lord Carter expanded on the urgent need for more innovation, “If you look at the Foresight report [a UK government report promoting ‘sustainable intensification’ in agriculture] and the fact the world population is going to grow from 7 to 9 billion, and you look at the fact that in the EU in the last 10 years we have seen very little growth in productivity, the EU really can’t afford to fall behind.”

He continued, “This is for two reasons; first of all, we are going to need to deal with climate change and the whole idea of sustainable intensification, but also we are a science based economy, we are an innovation based economy, and we need to make sure that our researchers and our scientists can actually hold their place in the world and sell the results of their research to other nations.”

However, farmers have argued that they rely, now more than ever, on the direct support CAP payments provide to remain in business and continue producing food, as raw materials costs are rising and in many sectors farm-gate prices are shrinking or remain static.

‘Significantly more’ funding needed for research

The Lords said “significantly more” funding is needed for research; however, they did not specify an exact amount. Furthermore, they called for a change in the way research money is spent. The committee wants to see an increase in applied research rather than pure research, which they claim would lead to new practices and technologies “really getting it into the hands of farmers.”

Lord Carter denied this was a veiled attempt to legitimise trials of genetically modified crops. When questioned on BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today, Carter acknowledged that GM was highly unpopular with UK consumers and claimed that the Lords were instead calling for “A more considered process to look at the consequences of any of these new technologies.” He did, however, express the belief that “Biotech (GM) has a role to play in increasing productivity.”

Professor welcomes Lords report

Professor John Oldham, of the Scottish Agricultural College’s Rural Policy Centre, who gave evidence to the committee during its investigation, backed its findings. Professor Oldham echoed the committee’s beliefs that more applied research is needed and that this should be conveyed more effectively to farmers.

He said, “The Scottish model for applying the latest scientific research has distinct advantages for promoting innovation in European agriculture. While giving evidence, I stressed that greater recognition of the value of applied research is essential if innovation is to help agriculture rise to the challenges it faces. We therefore welcome the fact that the Committee has recognised this need in its conclusions."

Professor Oldham recommended ‘innovations’ including biotechnologies, the use of new machinery and commercial decisions to plant new crops as critical to the growth and sustainability of European agriculture.
However, some of these recommendations jar with current proposals emanating from the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation, which has suggested the adoption of agroecological practices would benefit farmers in the face of looming food and water scarcity.

UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Olivier De Schutter, offered caution on the way in which research was conducted, “Agroecology is a knowledge-intensive approach. It requires public policies supporting agricultural research and participative extension services. States and donors have a key role to play here. Private companies will not invest time and money in practices that cannot be rewarded by patents and which don’t open markets for chemical products or improved seeds.”

De Schutter has previously warned that “commercial interests can trump the concern for food security.” He said, “We won’t solve hunger and stop climate change with industrial farming on large plantations. The solution lies in supporting small-scale farmers’ knowledge and experimentation, and in raising incomes of smallholders so as to contribute to rural development.”