person spraying crops

A major conference conference organised by 10 major agri-food chain associations has seen calls for 'concrete solutions and proper investment schemes' to support specialty crops and minor uses, particularly fruits and vegetables, cereals, seeds, flowers and plants that need tailor-made pesticide products for their protection.

At the conference, the organisations agreed that the availability of tailor-made solutions for crop protection should be improved, whether it is for production, storage or transportation, with a 'foreseeable reduction' in available solutions expected to pose difficulties for future cultivation.

The conference recognised the vital need for consumers to have access to a wide range of agricultural and food products at affordable prices, recognising the value of minor and speciality crops to overall EU production, and the importance of the sector's preservation.

With EU food security and competitiveness of the agri-chain under threat, the reduction in active substances and avilable solutions for food preservation 'canot be ignored any longer', conference participants agreed.

'This conference offered a clear and concrete understanding of the situation and problems that the whole agri-food chain is facing,' said Luc Peeters, chairman of the phytosanitary group within Copa-Cogecaand speaking on behalf of the 10 agri-food chain associations co-organising the event. 'We look forward to seeing the European Commission take the only appropriate steps forward, which should be reflected in the next Commission report expected in December 2011.

'This is a unique opportunity that we cannot afford to miss,' he added. 'As encouraged by the Commission itself, we call again on DG SANCO and all relevant Directorates of the European Commission (DG Agriculture and Rural Development, DG Research, DG Enterprise and Industry, DG Competition, DG Trade, and DG Budget), to come up with an effective EU Minor Use and Speciality Crops Programme. Otherwise, there would be significant negative long-term consequences for sustainable agriculture and food security in Europe.'

Conference participants included AREFLH, CELCAA, COCERAL, ESA, ECPA, Copa-Cogeca, Freshfel, PROFEL, IBMA and Union Fleurs, as well as the European Commission.

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