b'plant varieties. For now y, the Farm to Fork Strategy neglectsto Member States urging them to implement the Farm to Fork this aspect and only sets on reduction rather than innovation. IStrategy, a proper impact assessment on food security, quality put a lot of hope and support in the seed sector to promote thisand income stability must be conducted. important aspect.ES: ANOTHER TARGET IS TO STIMULATE ORGANIC ES: MANY SAY THAT NEW PLANT BREEDINGFARMING IN THE EU. BUT WITH MUCH LOWER YIELDS, TECHNIQUES CAN GREATLY HELP IN ACHIEVINGTHIS DOES NOT SEEM SUSTAINABLE. WHAT IS YOUR SOME OF THE TARGETS OF THE GREEN DEAL. DO YOUTAKE ON THIS?FORESEE A ROLE FOR THOSE TECHNIQUES?LINS:Farm to Fork and the Biodiversity Strategy propose 25 per LINS:As already indicated above, the answer is yes. I am one ofcent of land is to be reserved for organic farming. I believe this those people who say that plant breeding techniques not onlyis very ambitious. In 2018, this figure was 7.7 per cent in the EU can but will greatly help in achieving the targets of the Greenas a whole and 9.1 per cent in Germany. Stipulating 30 per cent Deal. I therefore urge the Commission again to look at this solu- would correspond to roughly a three-fold increase in Germany. tion more proactively and with vision. It will be hard to reduceThis will be tough to achieve, and I would like to illustrate this pesticides and have food security at the same time without inno- by looking at the figures for Baden-Wrttemberg. Organic farm-vative and new breeds.ing currently has a share of 14 per cent and we have achieved this over 40 years. How are we supposed to achieve 25 per cent ES: WITH A 50% REDUCTION IN PESTICIDES BY 2030,within 10 years? The same applies to the use of fertilisers and HOW WILL WE BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THE SAME ORpesticides. We wont get farmers on board if we force them to HIGHER YIELDS?make unrealistic reductions.LINS:A simple reduction of pesticides is not the solution and a reduction in yield production is unavoidable if we simply apply a reduction target without offering helpful solutions and research on that topic.We need to provide farmers with the tools to fight plant diseases and predators. There are alternative measures like crop rotation, a different soil management or a further enhancing of integrated pest management, but this is not applicable to all The Farm to Fork Strategy kinds of crops and does not solely help in regaining possible losses due to pesticide reduction. New plant breeding techniqueswill only work if ALL actors in with varieties that are more resistant and of course digital farm- the chain work together and ing with a more precise and targeted application of pesticides can also be a solution for a lesser use of pesticides. But they allshare the responsibility to need to go hand in hand if we want to maintain the current level of yield production if that is even possible.make our food sector more ES: FOOD SECURITY IS HIGH ON EVERYBODYSsustainable and resilient.AGENDA, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE START OF THE PANDEMIC. WILL THE STRATEGY MAKE EUROPE MORE RESILIENT AT A FUTURE OUTBREAK?LINS:Food securitywhich for me means enough, high quality, nutritious and affordable foodremains high on the agenda of the agricultural policy making. To start on a positive note, I believe that with hindsight, EU agriculture has suffered rel-atively less damage compared to other parts of the economyES: IN THE END A MAJOR ROLE IS FOR CONSUMERS which have been affected by lockdown measures. The COVID-19WHO NEED TO CHANGE THEIR DIET. WILL THEY ALSO outbreak and related measures taken by Member States createdBE TARGETED BY THE STRATEGY?a demand shock rather than a supply one and recent marketLINS:According to the title of the strategy, the Fork plays a developments show that our production potential has been pre- role. For now, it rather seems that the responsibility lays on the served, as reflected in the good production prospects for variousshoulders of the Farm and the food chain. I want to make clear sectors such as dairy, sugar, pig meat, olive oil, wine and tomatothat we will only see a change if it will be market-oriented and or in the exports perspectives, which remain good overall.the consumer is aware about his/her responsibility and that he/However, the crisis has shown to the public that full shelvesshe can chose the kind of agriculture in the supermarket. We will are not a normality but require hard work and a functioninghave to do a better job labelling our products so that consumers internal market and acknowledgement. Our food sector hasknow whether they originate from the EU and where and when shown resilience but is not without weaknesses. In my opinion,they have been produced. The question here of course is how the Farm to Fork strategy has some good ideas, but in itself islocal we want to go and how to avoid threatening the internal not the solution to as it currently stands. market by promoting national products over products originating Next to the question of quantity, we should also talk aboutfrom other EU countries. the quality of the products we want to have. Not only will theTo conclude and to close the circle to what I said in the yields decrease, there is also the question of health concernsbeginning: The Strategy will only work if ALL actors in the chain without enough fungicides for example. Therefore, before anywork together and share the responsibility to make our food targets are legally or binding or the Commission sends out lettersector more sustainable and resilient.EUROPEAN-SEED.COMIEUROPEAN SEED I 13'