Farmers should be the driving force behind industry innovation

From 27 to 28 January, a high-level conference “Strategic approach to research and innovation in EU agriculture” took place in Brussels, the aim of which was to discuss the science and innovation strategy proposed by the European Commission – for the development of competitive agriculture and food production. The conference emphasized that farmers should be the main drivers of the process in the development of science and innovation – only in this way can viable agricultural production be ensured in the future. The vision of European farmers was represented at the conference by Maira Dzelzkalēja-Burmistre, Deputy Chairwoman of the Association “Farmers’ Parliament” and Vice-President of COPA.

At the conference, the European professional agricultural committees COPA and COGECA stressed the important role of science and innovation in the development of the agricultural sector, as well as the importance of involving farmers and their cooperatives in this process, from development to completion. It is the producers themselves who can best tell what problems they face on a daily basis, and whose solutions would allow them to produce products cheaper, more environmentally friendly and more socially responsible.

“This strategy proposal comes at the right time, as farmers are in dire need of innovative solutions that would allow them to adapt more successfully to climate change. Smarter and more sustainable agricultural production is essential to ensure viable rural areas. Innovations would help reduce costs and produce more. I believe that the widely accepted view that farmers are passive consumers of scientific results must be changed. We are the customers of research. Only if there is successful cooperation between farmers and researchers, from defining the problem to adapting real solutions to production, will we be able to say that science and agriculture work hand in hand,” M. Dzelzkalēja-Burmistre noted at the conference.

A large number of farmers are conservative and cautious about new ideas. This is one of the main reasons why it takes an average of 20 years from the start of research to the implementation of the results in production. Only if farmers feel involved in the process will they more easily and quickly implement new solutions in their farming. Farmers are already implementing innovative farming approaches, but the solutions they create often remain only on their own farms and are not distributed to others.

For this reason, the recently established “multi-actor” approach in new research projects is welcome, to some extent forcing scientists to work together with farmers and industry.