11th Forum for the Future of Agriculture – FFA call for action: healthy farming, healthy food, healthy future
Press release
Brussels – Tuesday, March 27, 2018: The Forum for the Future of Agriculture 2018 convenes today with a call for action by all stakeholders and society at large to work together in order to deliver real world solutions for a healthy future through healthy farming practices and healthy food production.
The Forum brings together leaders from politics, industry and society, who will highlight the importance of biodiversity for healthy food production, will present emerging farming technologies and best practices in artificial intelligence and sustainable forest management among others, as well as consider options on how to reduce food waste.
FFA2018 comes at a time when real world action is needed to put the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into practice and a new cycle of reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is starting to take shape. This is coupled with growing public interest in farming practices, along with increased environmental awareness and health consciousness related to food consumption.
The Forum, with its 1,200 participants, has over the past ten years become Europe’s largest agricultural conference, tackling important challenges and becoming an advocate for the urgent need of government, business and farmers to do more in order to address common challenges.
Janez Potočnik, Chair FFA2018 said:
“We need inspired leadership to achieve a healthy future, transform our farm and economic models and create real change on the ground that will meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. All of us, from farmers to consumers, politicians to business leaders, need to be part of a positive disruption in our thinking and actions leading to food and environmental security.”
Her Majesty Queen Noor Al Hussein of Jordan said:
“I believe that we must bring urgency to our actions today. The interconnected nature of climate change and poor resource management crises with food security and, as a result, overall human security are having profound international consequences right now.”
Alexandra Brand, Chief Sustainability Officer, Syngenta and co-founder of the FFA said:
“The FFA helps bring different groups together to find ways of achieving food security while ensuring our food is safe and that the environment is protected. We also want to help rural communities thrive. There might be some disagreement about how we might achieve these goals but as today’s discussion shows, the goals we want to achieve are the same and debate is good to have. The FFA helps us to find a path towards the agreement we need and to find common ground. I’m proud of the role Syngenta continues to play in helping the FFA to achieve this.”
Thierry de l’Escaille, Secretary-General of the European Landowners’ Organization and co-founder of FFA said:
“Europe’s land managers are on the front lines when it comes to delivering healthy food from healthy farms. Our members are more than willing to be part of the solution, but they must be properly rewarded for their efforts. In order to be green, Europe must make sure that its countryside businesses are not just surviving, but prospering.”
Note to Editors:
The Forum for the Future of Agriculture (FFA) has been contributing to the debate on agriculture and the environment in Brussels since 2008. The FFA is now firmly established as the premier event where agriculture and environment are together part of an open debate and dialogue.
About FFA
The Forum for the Future of Agriculture (FFA) is the premiere meeting place in Brussels to debate sustainable agriculture and environmental challenges – where agriculture and the environment meet. It is an annual public platform where are all voices have an equal say, where luminaries from various leading international institutions, such as the European Commission, the European Council, the European Parliament, OECD, FAO, farmers, foresters, the food chain, NGOs, and businesses from every sector present their diverse views.
The annual conference of the Forum for the Future of Agriculture takes place every spring in Brussels since 2008 and is an initiative of the European Landowners’ Organization (ELO) and Syngenta. The purpose of the FFA is to stimulate open discussion on the future of European and world agriculture and assess what should and what can be achieved, attaching equal weight to the challenges of food security and environmental security.
About ELO
The European Landowners’ Organization (ELO), created in 1972, is a unique federation of national associations from the 28 EU Member States and beyond which represents the interests of landowners, land managers and rural entrepreneurs at the European political level. Independent and non-profit, the ELO is the only organization able to stand for all rural entrepreneurs. The ELO promotes a prosperous countryside through private property dynamism. Its Secretariat is based in Brussels.
More information is available at www.elo.org
Follow us on Twitter® at www.twitter.com/EULandownersOrg
About Syngenta
Syngenta is a leading agriculture company helping to improve global food security by enabling millions of farmers to make better use of available resources. Through world class science and innovative crop solutions, our 28,000 people in over 90 countries are working to transform how crops are grown. We are committed to rescuing land from degradation, enhancing biodiversity and revitalizing rural communities.
To learn more visit www.syngenta.com and www.goodgrowthplan.com
Follow us on Twitter® at www.twitter.com/Syngenta
About RISE Foundation
The Rural Investment Support for Europe (RISE) Foundation is an independent foundation which strives to support a sustainable and internationally competitive rural economy across Europe, looking for ways to preserve the European countryside, its environment and biodiversity, and its cultural heritage and traditions. Chaired by Janez Potočnik, it deals with policy analysis and project financing.
Find studies and more information at www.risefoundation.eu
Follow us on Twitter® at www.twitter.com/RISE_Fnd