Why Europe Needs more Productive Agriculture

Brussels (ots/PRNewswire) -

New academic study shows that productive agriculture brings
significant benefits for food security, resource efficiency, economic
stability, improved biodiversity, climate-change mitigation

Productive agriculture delivers important benefits to Europe and
the world - from increased food security and more efficient land use
to climate change mitigation, biodiversity protection and economic
and social stability - according to a landmark academic study
released today.

The new report, "The social, economic and environmental value of
agricultural productivity in the European Union", has been published
by the Humboldt Forum for Food and Agriculture, an international
non-profit think tank based in Berlin.

The study assesses data on the economic, social and environmental
effects of productive agriculture (which uses modern technologies
such as agricultural machinery, new seed varieties, organic and/or
mineral fertilizers, and plant protection products and solutions) in
the EU.

According to the findings, each percentage point increase in
agricultural productivity in the EU:

- feeds more than 10 million humans per year
- increases the annual social welfare generated in European agriculture by
approximately 500 million
- contributes EUR 500 to the annual income of an average EU farmer
- reduces our net virtual land imports by about 1.2 million hectares
- acts to save 220 million tons in CO2 emissions
- preserves global biodiversity equivalent to fauna and flora of up to 600,000
hectares of rainforest

Switching to low input agricultural methods, with average 31 per
cent lower yields than productive agriculture in the EU, would come
at the cost of these benefits, according to the report's authors.

"This study - the first scientific analysis of its kind -
quantifies the various benefits of productive agriculture in the EU,"
said one of the study's authors, Dr. Steffen Noleppa of agripol GbR,
an agricultural policy research firm based in Berlin. Harald von
Witzke from Humboldt University Berlin, president of the Humboldt
Forum for Food and Agriculture and also an author of the study, adds:
"Clearly, when it comes to agriculture, productivity matters."

Dr. Friedhelm Schmider, Director General of ECPA, the European
Crop Protection Association, said: "This study reminds us all that
productive agriculture, which incorporates pesticide use and other
modern agricultural technologies, has contributed to improve our way
of life in many ways. The benefits pesticides bring to the table are
often taken for granted, and the reasons for their use in agriculture
are rarely discussed. Nevertheless, we are hopeful that this new
research will serve as base for increasing the understanding of the
accomplishments which have already been achieved in agriculture.
Innovation in crop protection has delivered a lot and for this to
continue we need policy and regulatory frameworks that foster
innovation and help Europe's farmers to stay competitive, in order to
meet the challenges of tomorrow and to continue to deliver affordable
and healthy food available for all, whist protecting environment and
consumer health."

To download the study, visit this link: http://www.hffa.info/index
.php/resources/download-publications/publications/working-paper-5.htm
l

For the online version please follow the link: http://www.ecpa.eu/
news-item/agriculture-today/10-31-2013/817/why-europe-needs-more-prod
uctive-agriculture

For comment from the study's authors, contact: office@hffa.info

The European Crop Protection Association (ECPA) represents the
crop protection industry interests at European level. Its members
include all major companies and national associations across Europe.
For more information: http://www.ecpa.eu

For more general information:

http://www.ecpa.eu - http://www.hungry4change.eu -
facebook.com/cropprotection - twitter.com/cropprotection

ots Originaltext: European Crop Protection Association
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
Contact: Craig Winneker, Communications Director, European Crop
Protection Association, aisbl,
Tel : +32-473-90-03-64, craig.winneker@ecpa.eu