The European Commission has adopted measures to promote the sustainable use of critical natural resources. These measures are expected to strengthen the resilience of EU food systems and farming practices.
A significant part of the package is a new soil monitoring law, which aims to achieve healthy EU soils by 2050. This law will gather data on soil health and make it available to farmers and other soil managers, promoting sustainable soil management and addressing soil contamination risks. The law will also combine soil data from various sources, including the EU’s Land Use and Coverage Area Frame Survey (LUCAS), satellite data from Copernicus, and national and private data.
Commenting on the announcement, the European Commission adds, “Today’s proposals will also boost innovation and sustainability by enabling the safe use of technical progress in new genomic techniques, to enable developing climate-resilient crops and reducing the use of chemical pesticides, and by ensuring more sustainable, high-quality and diverse seeds and reproductive material for plants and forests.”
Additionally, Cibus US LLC mentioned: According to Tony Moran, Senior Vice President of International Development and Government Affairs at Cibus, the proposal holds significant importance and will have far-reaching effects on international policy alignment. He believes that the legislative change will provide a much-needed impetus for innovation in plant science, particularly in academia and SMEs, leading to a sustainable EU agri-food system with increased contributions from NGTs.
The package also includes measures to boost innovation and sustainability in agriculture. It enables the safe use of new genomic techniques to develop climate-resilient crops and reduce the use of chemical pesticides. It also ensures more sustainable, high-quality, diverse seeds and reproductive material for plants and forests.
The package proposed by the European Commission also includes measures to reduce food and textile waste, contributing to more efficient use of natural resources and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from these sectors.
These measures are expected to bring long-term economic, social, health, and environmental benefits. They will support people living directly from land and nature, contribute to prosperous rural areas, food security, and a resilient and thriving bioeconomy, and help reverse biodiversity loss and prepare for the consequences of climate change.
In the ordinary legislative procedure, the European Parliament and the Council will now discuss the proposals. These initiatives are part of the European Green Deal, a comprehensive plan to transform the EU’s economy for a sustainable future.
Photo by Ries Bosch on Unsplash
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