The war in Ukraine has brought food security and the importance of food systems back on the centre stage of politics. Short-term plans to enhance European food security must not be achieved at the expense of EU agriculture’s green ambitions. Strengthening food sovereignty in Europe can go hand-in-hand with improving agriculture practices by making more with less.
Nitrogen is key for ensuring food security, a main factor for crop yield and quality. However, nitrogen losses to the environment affect air and water quality and have an impact on biodiversity. At the same time, the amount of nutrients needed per hectare of agricultural land varies from one EU Member State to another. Also, nitrogen emissions vary significantly at local level depending on factors such as fertilizer applications, farming system, climate, crop type and soil type.
How can we continue feed the world sustainability? What kind of sustainable nutrient management approaches, policy incentives and regulations can help the EU agriculture sector face this challenge?
- environmental protection
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- Belgium
- External event
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- Fertilzers EuropeBelgium
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- English
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How can we take into account the regional diversity of agricultural systems and the specific environmental vulnerabilities?
The event aims to spoor a constructive discussion between scientists, policy makers, agriculture representatives and civil society, and explore how Europe can address the twin challenge of maintaining a productive and resilient agriculture while making sure Europe’s environmental footprint is within planetary boundaries.
Draft agenda:
Moderator: Florence Ranson, REDComms
• Representative of the European Commission: Farm to Fork Strategy in the light of the war in Ukraine. Food sovereignty and rapidly increasing food prices
• Prof. Wim de Vries, Wageningen University: Necessary changes in nitrogen use efficiency to reconcile agricultural productivity with air and water quality objectives.
• National Agri Representatives: Regional differences and country specific challenges
• Representative of EU Nitrogen Expert Panel: Nitrogen Use Efficiency Indicator, a vehicle for advancing sustainable agriculture in Europe