The strategic plans of the CAP 2023-2027, which are very much focused on the environment and agricultural policies in the EU, were the main topic of conversation during the second day of the International Congress of Producers' Organizations ICOP 2023, held in Almeria. Kristine Bori, from DG Agri; Adrián Torrellas and Manuel Alías Cantón, and Kerstin Edelman, from the Austrian consultancy gfa-consulting, organizer of the event, talked about the current status of the implementation of the recent legislative changes of the CAP in the fruit and vegetable sector, and spoke about operational funds and operational programs.
The CAP reform is focused on backing the transition of European agriculture towards greater sustainability, in line with the objectives of the European Green Pact, resulting in a much greener CAP with more ambitious environmental objectives. The CAP reforms will also contribute to a fairer common agricultural policy that will boost the competitiveness of the agri-food sector.
The fact is that achieving sustainability, be it environmental, social, or economic, is the main objective of the European Commission, as evidenced not only by the CAP 2023-2027 but also by the Green Pact itself, and this was highlighted by the speakers in the afternoon presentations, which addressed innovations and trends in the sector.
Kris de Smet, from Koppert, analyzed the development and growth of biological control in agriculture, which is already implemented in 37% of the world's protected crops (at a higher level in Almeria, in particular, and in Europe, in general) and in 15% of open ground crops. At the beginning of his presentation, Kris also said that "the world needs 100% sustainable agriculture," and the increasing regulatory pressure on chemical pesticides points in that direction.
Regulations need to be adjusted in the context of progressive loss of productivity due to climate change to facilitate the necessary development of new genetic improvement techniques (NGT), which offer promising opportunities to improve sustainability in food production in the world.
Antonio Villaroel, from ANOVE, said that according to a study carried out by the Cerdá Institute, genetic improvement has so far helped to increase crop yields by 11 to 61%, but with the tools used so far, "it is increasingly difficult to achieve this." The world population will need "between 50 and 70% more food in the next 30 years," said Antonio, and, quoting Luc Vanoirbeek, "we will have to produce more with less," he said, and also more quickly.
Currently, breeding a variety takes 10 to 12 years, and NGTs could cut this in half; but with current regulations, these techniques, which are relatively affordable and inexpensive compared to traditional breeding (which can cost between 1 and 3 million Euro), regulatory costs can amount to "up to 100 million Euro. With viruses such as ToBRFV, it would be essential to be able to accelerate breeding to find resistant varieties more quickly," he stressed. "We need a new regulatory framework; we cannot miss the opportunity NGTs represent."
Rosa Altisent, from IRTA, also agreed on the importance of breeding and explained how, through the Hot Climate Partnership, they have developed the first apple and pear varieties in the world specifically bred for hot climates. In fact, Tutti, presented at the latest edition of Fruit Logistica, is already in the marketing phase.
In the field of energy, Alice Lefort and Carlota Contreras, from BayWa, presented a real cross-cutting innovation in fruit growing: the frutivoltaic. BayWa has developed photovoltaic structures to be implemented in fruit plantations to maximize the land's yield with agricultural and energy production.
Also, from a technological perspective, José Luis Molina, CEO of Hispatec, outlined the importance of data management in today's agricultural environments, recalling the digital revolution that information has undergone. "Global food losses amount to around 40-50%," he said, "and depending on how it's managed, immediate post-harvest losses can reach up to 25-30%." For this reason, agricultural producers "need to make the right decisions," and comprehensive farm-to-market software solutions such as those Hispatec has introduced throughout the world help to make them.
Finally, Juan Jesús Lara, CEO of CASI, talked about the history of the cooperative, whose origins date back to 1944, when several producers joined forces to market potatoes. The ICOP has promoted unity among producers, which is what has led CASI to become the largest cooperative and tomato marketer in Almeria. Juan Jesus said that its members account for 3,000 out of the 8,000 hectares of tomato crops in the province, and their production amounts to about 240 million kilos per year.
Competition in the tomato market has grown in recent years, mainly from Morocco and the Netherlands, said the CEO of the cooperative, but "having competition is not bad because it motivates us to improve," he said. "In any case, what we deliver is a product that cannot be replicated because we produce a tomato with 80 years of history," he said.