b'The need to migrate SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE IN THE EU - PART 2. BY: MARCEL BRUINSA lmost 50% of the EU territory is covered by farmland (both arable land and permanent grassland) leaving a key role for agriculture to play in land management and bestowing a big responsibility in the preservation of natural resources. The EU Commission calls the desired relationship between agriculture and the environment sustainable agricul-ture and calls for management of natural resources in a way which ensures that their benefits are also available for the future.MARC CORNELISSENEuropean Seed took a deep dive into Sustainable Agriculture and sat down with Marc Cornelissen, Sustainability Lead forSUSTAINABILITY LEAD FOR Seeds and Traits at BASF, and President of the EuropeanSEEDS AND TRAITS AT BASF, Technology Platform (ETP) Plants for the Future to get hisAND PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN TECHNOLOGY take on the topic. This is the second article in the two-part seriesPLATFORM (ETP) PLANTS on Sustainable agriculture in Europe. Part 1 can be found hereFOR THE FUTURE european-seed.com/2020/09/understanding-the-long-term-impact-of-human-actions/Disclaimer: The views expressed in this interview articleGreen Deal, and make near-time opportunities and situations are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect themore tangible: What does digital farming anno 2025 and 2030 views of BASF mean? How to deal with biorefining options anno 2030? What skillsets would an EU farmer need by 2030? What would be the EUROPEAN SEED (ES): : MARC, SUSTAINABLEmain concerns of NGOs by 2030? Getting a grip on how the new AGRICULTURE IS NOT ONLY GOOD FOR THEworld may unfold, would create timely engagement of entrepre-ENVIRONMENT, BUT ALSO HAS SEVERAL OTHERneurs, help direct risk funding and policy development, and pave BENEFITS. CAN YOU GIVE SOME EXAMPLES? the way for new directions in education. There are ample short-MARC CORNELISSEN (MC):Indeed, a transition to sustainabilityterm actions we could take today to make the future of agricul-is commonly associated with environmental benefits. As statedture promising and that could address several of the negative in the first communication of the Green Deal, this transitionimpacts on the environment and be at the basis of a flourishing is about a culture shift and has at least a 30-year time frame.bio-based economy offering welfare to society. Whereas the endpoint may sound revolutionary, the migration to sustainability will need to proceed evolutionary so that atES: IN TERMS OF GENETICS AND PLANT BREEDING, all times a changing societal demand is met by the output of aWHAT ARE THE MAIN CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE changing supply chain. This transition will encompass a reju- MADE?venation of the entire agricultural value chain: we will see anMC:The lasting goals of plant breeding are known as yield, increased incorporation of new technology, of digital approaches,yield and yield, and a farmers move to more sustainable prac-of high-profile jobs, of new value propositions and businesstices, is pro forma not changing this. Farm productivity is the models, and of new product types leading to the formation ofresult of a complex equation between choice of crop genetics, new industry structures.seed quality and preparation, field conditions, resource availa-Moreover, such transition may lead to a new generation ofbility, pest and disease occurrence, applied agricultural prac-tech-savvy farmers, which would breathe new life into a professiontices, weather, both on a day-to-day level and on a climate level, that is slowly ageing: in 2016 about one third of the EU farmersand historic farming choices. The challenge is thus to decom-were over the age of 651. We may also anticipate a greater diversitypose farm productivity and derive insight into which aspects of products the consumer is already familiar with and that offerhave the greatest impact on sustainability, can be technically benefits in nutrition, taste and other sensory qualities. In addition,approached by breeding and/or agronomy, and offer a positive future agriculture is expected to provide a totally new range ofeconomic perspective. biorefining products that are deeply embedded in the bioecon- As discussed above, there are lasting merits in improving omy and range from large volume chemical precursors to high-endyield and in reducing input requirements to lower non-fossil materials for manufacturing or medical applications.based GHG emissions. But as a way forward, targets are ideally A main task I see is to get the communication on this topicderived from Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) metrics that have pre-streamlined: we should think in line with the 2050 goals of thedictive value for both productivity and sustainability, and that 32IEUROPEAN SEEDIEUROPEAN-SEED.COM'