European Commission: EU Needs to Step Up Food Production, Africa to Boost Precision Farming
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for the EU and Africa to step up efforts on food production, including via innovative farming techniques such as precision farming, in light of the war in Ukraine, reports Natasha Foote at EURACTIV.
Speaking during a press conference following a meeting of EU leaders on Tuesday (31 May), President von der Leyen listed “stepping up our own food production” as one of the key elements in making up for the deficit in food production left by the Ukraine war.
Both Russia and Ukraine play a central role in supplying the world with staple grains and oils, together providing more than a third of the world’s wheat and barley, 52% of maize, and over 50% of sunflower oil and seeds.
As a direct consequence of Russia’s invasion, millions of tonnes of food exports are currently stuck in Ukraine.
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This increase in food production is especially prudent in light of the fact that the EU can expect a “record export of cereals of 14 million tonnes in 2022 and 2023,” the President added.
In the next two years, the European Commission estimates a 30% increase in exports of cereals will be needed to mitigate the impact on global markets of the reduced Ukrainian yield due to the war.
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