Among all the demands that [European] farmers are making (claims of an economic nature, which have to do with imports, labeling, bureaucracy, digitalization, etc.) there are some that have a direct relationship with science.
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Administrations have put obstacles in the way of scientific and technological progress, causing Europe to be less competitive and sustainable than the rest.
Imported food coming from outside the EU has to meet the same food safety requirements as food produced within the EU. They have to certify that they are safe for human consumption. However, they do not have to meet the same production requirements . This does not mean that foreign production methods are always more polluting or less ethical. In fact, in some cases they are more efficient and profitable precisely because they use scientific and technological advances to their advantage.
The specific case of genetic editing has also been promoted by environmental groups that unfortunately enjoy prestige and credibility, such as Greenpeace, one of the great promoters of misinformation about advances in chemistry and biology that would have been of great help to agriculture, for adaptation to climate change and for the fight against hunger.
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I hope that the farmers’ protests will pave the way for a future in which the scientific and technological advances of the present are integrated. Genetic editing, the use of artificial intelligence to create seed banks that preserve biodiversity, the use of anti-drought drugs and phytosanitary products that are truly regulated by their ecological – not ideological – impact, would place Europe at the forefront of agriculture, making us more competitive and sustainable.
[Editor’s note: This article has been translated from Spanish and edited for clarity.]
