Agriculture & Progress, a platform where the agricultural and primary food processing industry join forces for sustainable agricultural production.

Integrated and innovative crop production techniques, including the use of plant protection products in Integrated Pest Management, have been used by European farmers for many years and are constantly being improved. These reliable and safe tools allow farmers to meet production standards both in terms of quantity and in terms of quality.

Society is however, more and more critical and raises questions on agricultural practices. We have heard those concerns and are putting the platform at the heart of the debate, taking into account the demands and expectations of consumers.

As it is clear that progress is needed in the safety linked to the use of plant protection products, we work towards ensuring the use of safe products for farmers, the environment and consumers. In that context, we work to improve practices to move towards a minimum of inputs while trying to continue to improve our sustainability. Farmers like progress and are ready to welcome new innovative techniques. However, it needs to be understood that research, studies, trials, implementation and the overall transfer of knowledge is a process that takes time and cannot be done overnight.

The aim of our transversal, European platform is to provide society and decision makers in a pedagogic way with answers and suggestions on the needs and challenges of guaranteeing sustainable agricultural production and the important role of innovation in this context. Agriculture & Progress aims to establish a strong communication with civil society, local networks and the media.

Confronted with bans and restrictions on the use of plant protection products and new breeding techniques (NBTs), the farming and primary food processing communities’ capacity to sustain production and to further improve competitiveness and good agricultural practices is jeopardised in the short and medium term. Our goal is to plead for the development of a solid regulatory framework that guarantees an appropriate adaptation, a balance between health, environmental protection, and qualitative agricultural production whilst guaranteeing an adequate level of income for the farming community.