Geen voedselveiligheid zonder wetenschappelijk onderzoek (en)

‘Without scientific research, Europe would not have coped with the recent outbreaks of E. coli, mad cow disease and dioxin contamination. The importance of science for healthy and safe food will grow,’ emphasised prof. Maciej Banach, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education.

Climate change, the marginalisation of a significant part of humanity, global militarisation and the sharp struggle for raw materials - such dangers awaiting producers and consumers were discussed by Geoff Tansey from the UK Food Ethics Council. Conference participants acknowledged that it is the last call for Europe, which must now face up to these challenges. Prof. Banach in his speech recalled the statistic that the world must provide for an increase in food supply by 70% by 2050 to feed a predicted population of nine billion.

‘We are at a turning point,’ stressed Dr. Maive Rute from the European Commission's Directorate for Food, Agriculture and Biotechnology. ‘This is the time when we need to find a solution that will provide healthy, nutritional food to a growing global population,’ she said. She added that every aspect of EU policy must be based on a sound scientific basis. ‘We are striving to not only produce more theoretical models, but also give them in a practical dimension to farmers,’ underlined Dr. Rute.

‘I want this conference to receive the answer to the question about the best development model for European agriculture. I want to make sure that it is up to food production with higher standards,’ said Marek Sawicki, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to provoke discussion. He also made an appeal for EU agriculture not to be treated today as a problem. ‘It long ago ceased to be a problem, and has become a tool for solving problems,’ said the minister.

The food industry is today one of the most important sectors of the economy in the European Union. It produces goods worth EUR 965bn and employs nearly 4.5 million people. The sector, however, is being forced to deal with declining competitiveness, rising labour and production costs, climate change i, the emergence of new pests and new plants and animals diseases. As conference participants emphasised, the answer to these challenges can be found only in scientific laboratories.

‘Poland has increased spending on research in these areas,’ underlined the Deputy Science Minister, Maciej Banach. Polish research institutes and universities are already conducting research projects in the field of food and nutritional value worth almost PLN 240 million. As part of the Innovative Economy Operational Programme, an additional PLN 185 million is earmarked for this objective. In August, the Polish government adopted the National Research Programme, which sets research priorities for the future. Among the seven key directions for the development of the country's research, studies on the environment, agriculture and forestry were included.