SCIENCE,SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE E.U.

Policy measures
CAP Reform 2003

Decoupling of
direct payments

WTO / Trade
liberalisation

Public
concerns

Globalisation

Adjustment of
intervention
levels
Crosscompliance
Strengthening
the 2nd pillar

Lisbon Strategy

Objectives
Reinforcing farmers market
orientation and
entrepreneurial role
Competitive agriculture and
agro-industry
Enforcing standards
(environment, food safety,
animal welfare)
Steering sustainable rural
development
Competitive agriculture and
agro-industry

The role of Science

Sustainable agricultural production systems:
striking the right balance between competitiveness and the
other elements of sustainability
Competitive and sustainable agri-food sector: reflecting
consumer demands and needs of society on an open world
market
Knowledge based agri-economy:
providing tools for policy makers and economic decision takers

1. SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION

SYSTEMS
Policy Measures/Objectives

Areas of RTD intervention

Decoupling: EU farmers
more market-oriented in their
activities

A. Enhancing competitiveness:
efficient production methods
and/or improved products

Cross-compliance:
Direct payments conditional
on environmental, food safety,
plant health and animal
welfare standards

B. Supporting certified
production schemes
C. Promoting environmental
aspects of sustainability
D. Steering sustainable forestry

A. Enhancing agricultural competitiveness

Biotechnology and breeding: crops with lower production costs,

increased eco-efficiency, greater added value

Integration of technological developments (information technology,

robotics etc) for lower production costs and increased eco-efficiency

Diversification and Non-food bio-materials: new or improved

biological raw materials, meeting industrial food and non-food
requirements, including bio-energy

Efficient farming practices: reducing costs and/or offering

environmental benefits (low chemical inputs, better crop rotation etc).

Efficient animal production systems: improving diagnostic tests, risk

assessment, surveillance systems etc. and animal welfare.
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B. Supporting Certified Production Schemes

Organic Farming (OF), Protected Designation of Origin (PDO),
Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) and Traditional Speciality
Guaranteed (TSG)

Improving crop and animal production

processing

systems

and

Assessing the economic, environmental and social impact of

Certified Production Schemes
Developing anti-fraud control tools, to provide consumers with
a guarantee of product authenticity and safety

C. Promoting Environmental Aspects of Sustainability

Agri-environment
Tools for evaluating linkages between agriculture and
the environment
Bio-diversity
Tools for evaluating the impact of production systems on
bio-diversity
Conservation methods for indigenous and exotic
species
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D. Steering Sustainable Forestry

Supporting the Community forestry strategy
Developing the sustainable management and
use of forests: conservation, protection and
stability of different forest ecosystems; adaptation
to climate change etc.
Tools for evaluating the role of forestry in rural
development and biodiversity.

2. REINFORCING THE COMPETITIVENESS AND

SUSTAINABILITY OF AGRI-INDUSTRY
Areas of RTD intervention
Policy Measures/Objectives
Lower market support
Trade liberalisation
Food safety regulations
Environmental regulations
Consumer concerns

A. Competitive agri-food
sector: efficient processing
technologies; improving
quality and safety; developing
new high added value
products
B. Developing non-food
industry: improving
processes and developing
new non-food uses
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A. Competitive agri-food sector

Improving food processing and product quality: integrating
several scientific disciplines (e.g. biotechnology, IT, robotics etc)
and covering food production, processing, packaging systems and
distribution.
Enhancing food safety: anticipating risks and tracing sources of
contamination (microbial, chemical, allergenic, ).
Developing new high added value products: functional and
healthy foods, foods for the special needs of particular sections of
the population etc.

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B. Developing non-food industries

Increasing the uses of new and existing

bio-materials to replace oil for energy or other
industrial uses (detergents, adhesives, lubricants etc)

Improving the processing efficiency of bio-products

and wastes, to produce biofuels, biopolymers and
bulk or fine chemicals

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3. KNOWLEDGE BASED AGRI- ECONOMY

Policy Measures/
Objectives
Achieving CAP reform
(sustainable market and
rural development).
Supporting negotiations
in international forums
(WTO, Kyoto etc).
Integrating the CAP and
bio-based industry into the
Lisbon strategy.

Areas of RTD intervention

Tools for economic decision takers
and policy makers

A. CAP analysis tools:

markets, rural development,
sustainability.
B. Tools to analyse world
agriculture and trade issues.
C. Tools to steer competitive
agri-food industry.
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A. Analysis tools for the CAP

Monitoring and assessment tools for CAP measures:
forecasting developments and identifying necessary adjustments.
Tools
analysing
sustainability
aspects
of
the
CAP:
competitiveness of EU agriculture and integration of environmental,
quality and safety concerns.
Tools analysing the impact of the institutional framework
on the implementation of agricultural policies, including market and
production factor constraints (land, capital, labour).
Tools analysing the sustainable development of rural areas:
conceptual aspects and impact of policy measures; key factors of
change (technology transfer and innovation; institutional framework;
external drivers of change etc).
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B. Analysis tools for world agriculture and trade

Analysing tariff and non-tariff trade barriers to
agricultural products; export regime policies; issues
related to trade and intellectual property rights (TRIPs).
Building expertise on world agricultural markets:
economic data, characteristics, commodity specificities
etc. Effects of globalisation on concentration,
integration, developing countries and trade.
Defining and analysing multifunctionality as a trade
policy issue; quantifying externalities.
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C. Supporting the competitiveness of agri-food

industry

Global prospective analysis tools for world agriculture: trends

and factors likely to lead to changes (technological, political,
economic, social, food supply issues etc).
Quantitative and qualitative market analysis tools: market sector
analysis, including the role of farmers, industry (upstream and
downstream), marketing networks, consumers, research and
innovation, labelling rules etc.
Promoting innovation: ways to improve communication of research
results and adoption of new technologies by EU farmers and industry.
Socio-economic implications of new technologies: effects of
adoption rates and the competitiveness of EU agriculture; consumer
perception and the role of the media.
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