Biotechnology in European Agriculture

Politics, public opinion, trends and other key issues

Peter Wynne Davies

Programme Director - Agriculture Biotechnology
Europe (ABE)

ELO Presentation Budapest January 27 2006

About Biotechnology
• An advanced technology that allows plant breeders to make precise
genetic changes to impart beneficial characteristics to the crop plants

• A way to improve crop qualities such as yield, pest resistance, or

herbicide tolerance, to a degree not possible with traditional methods

Europe
– 1980s - first research in Belgian and German public laboratories
– 1985 - GM tobacco grown in Belgian fields
– 1997 - France authorises GM seeds
– 1998 - Spain starts commercial cultivation
– 2005 – 5 countries commercial growing, many field trials next products

• Bayer Cropscience, BASF, Syngenta

Agricultural Biotechnology
• Research for 25 years, cultivation for 10 years
• 2005: 8.5 million farmers, 21 countries, 400 mil. hectares
– Europe: Spain, Portugal, France, Czech, Germany and Romania
– 90% in resource-poor areas: China, India, South Africa Philippines
• Brazil from 5 million hectares to 9.4 million (2005-2006)
• India from 500,000 hectares to 1.3 million (2005-2006)
• Commercial crops relevant for Europe:
– Now - maize, soybean, cotton, rice, rapeseed oil, sugar, potatoes
– In development – wheat, tomatoes, sorghum
Is there opposition to GMOs and why?

Politics, Public, Farmers and Food industry

 Politics – Support increasing
Governments becoming more positive to biotechnology
– EU regulatory framework complete
– recognition of economic/agricultural benefits
– understanding that GM and organic are not mutually exclusive

Countries that reject GM damage their own economies

– deny their farmers tool that other farmers have
– lose political credibility and good will
– dampening interest from R&D and private investors

• “…future competitiveness of Europe’s agricultural and food processing

industries will depend on plant genomics, biotechnology and their smart
application…”

• “… biotech can foster growth, create new jobs and benefit a wide range of
sectors such as health and agriculture, while at the same time contributing to
broader goals, such as sustainable development.”
European Commission
 SUPPORTERS WAVERERS OPPONENTS
Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Austria,
Finland, Sweden, Slovenia Luxemburg,
UK, Germany, Greece, Malta,
Denmark, France, Cyprus, Lithuania,
Czech Rep, Latvia, Poland,
Estonia, Ireland, Portugal, Hungary,
Belgium Slovakia

SUPPORTERS REPRESENT:
49% of EU Council votes
70% of EU GDP
58% of EU population
51% of EU arable land
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63% of acreage of 3 GM crops (maize, rape, sugar beet)

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MORE RAPIDLY.
Public - So where is the opposition now?
“There is mass public opposition” True or false?

Public concern is diminishing rapidly

• GM 10th out of 15 on environmental concerns
• 56% support GM to support regional crops
• 4 out of 10 say they do not know enough, but enough to have a view

• France: 58% support use of GM to allow farmers to live off their work
• Sweden: 28% would not buy GM – down from 48% in 1998
• Belgium: 1% are interested if a product is GM or not
• Spain: 65% say GM is safe for the environment and health

• EFSA, national regulators, EU regulation, co-existence

– 66% for scientific basis to decision-making
– 72% for experts to be in the driving seat
– 33% want moral and ethical considerations over scientific evidence
– 25% prefer the public over experts in decision-making
Farmers and food industry
“GM will help European agriculture tackle its three main challenges: the
shift in economic power away from primary producers (countries); the huge
changes needed in agricultural infrastructure and systems; and the effect of
trade globalisation and liberalisation that could lead to a 20% to 30% cut in
EU agricultural output in the very near future.” European Commission

Farmers
• Spanish farmers growing biotech maize - yield increases of 6.5% - to 15%
• Farmer income benefits range from €146-€170 more per hectare
• Increasing interest and support from farmers groups

Food industry
• Increasing use of (imported) GM ingredients
• Cost of non-GM sourcing higher
• Organic market – separate but small (less than 10%)
• Recognition of next generation products with direct consumers benefits
What’s in it for you..?
 European farming facing increasing
structural challenges
• Reductions in direct farm support through new CAP regime
• Less assurances for harvests (increased incidents of extreme
weather conditions/ pests etc)
• Growing demand for more food which puts greater pressure
on natural resources and wild lands for agriculture
• Pressure from Europe plc to become more sustainable and
kinder to the environment (to use less intensive forms of
agriculture)
• Increased competition from the rest of the world
GM offers..
Farmers options to meet the challenge of
managing their land in a more sustainable way

• Greater use of conservation tillage

• Reduced wind erosion, reduced water usage,
improved soil moisture management
• Weed control and ease of handling
• Energy and insurance savings
• Reduced ploughing
• Economic advantages
Conclusions

• Political support increasing

• Public opposition diminishing
• Increasing interest by food companies
• Increasing range of labelled foods
• Discussions about role of EU sustainable agriculture
• Choice for farmers and consumers
• Agriculture a global market
• Role for biotech in European farming