Feeding two billion people. It seems like an impossible task, but it will have to be done over the next few years. The growth in population demands a big change in the sector. Becoming more sustainable, in the widest sense of the word, and throughout the chain. This topic was front and centre at the Monsanto Breeding Proof. The event was held in the Pieterskerk in Leiden.
Chairman Jan Douwe Kroeske started the special meeting with disappointing figures. Although the Netherlands is clearly doing better than the US (50%) and the United Kingdom (33%) we still throw away 25% of our food despite a huge food shortage looming if the global population continues to grow as scientists predict. How are companies coping with this?
Jean-Noel Mutz has been working at Monsanto for 25 years and has seen how the company developed from a simple crop protection specialist to a breeder. Now more activities are being added, all focussed on making growing more sustainable and feeding the growing global population. More yield with less water, less soil and less use of finite substances - how do we do it? Mutz's story shows that Monstanto isn't just working in the area of seed and crop protection. The company is active in the service industry. Monsanto subsidiary The Climate Corporation has made it possible to optimise the harvest in all kinds of weather conditions, based on Big Data. The genetics of plants are researched and developed. Reducing food waste is also a key objective. According to Mutz, this can be done by improving the shelf life of varieties, but also by producing more of what the consumer wants. "Putting the right products on the shelf," explains Mutz. "We are looking for partners throughout the chain for this."
Novozymes
As of last year Monsanto has had activities in the micro biology sector due to an alliance with Novozymes. Thierry Pradier spoke about this. Cultivation has become more complicated in recent years, he showed. Subjects such as bio technology and organic crop protection played a far smaller role twenty years ago.
Novozymes
As of last year Monsanto has had activities in the micro biology sector due to an alliance with Novozymes. Thierry Pradier spoke about this. Cultivation has become more complicated in recent years, he showed. Subjects such as bio technology and organic crop protection played a far smaller role twenty years ago.
Novozymes focuses on microbes in the soil. Microbes cause plants to take in nutrients better, use nitrogen better, and make them stronger against disease causing pathogens. MET52, for example, works well against a number of damaging insects. They can hardly reach the roots of the plant if the soil has been treated with MET52. These kinds of microbes make it possible to use less chemicals in cultivation: more integrated cultivation.
As of last year the powers of Novozymes and Monsanto have been bundled. The microbes are developed and produced by Novozymes. Monsanto provides the practical side of things, and the registrations and sales under the brand Monsanto AG. "A new tool in the book," concluded Pradier.
Finally, the formal part of the Breeding Proof encompassed a talk with Chantal de Rijk-Bex, director of commerce and marketing for Jan Linders Supermarkten. Sustainability is also important for supermarkets, although De RIjk showed that there is another side to the story. The company has a lot to do with NGOs. "I immediately wonder what some substance parties think of these kinds of substances," she laughs. But food waste also has other branches. "Every year seven out of ten introductions into food disappear off the shelf. This is a waste of a lot of knowledge and budget," she says. "We want to bring the chain, consumer and research closer together and produce in a way less focussed on hypes." The supermarket is therefore open to the small scale testing of innovative products. A good bridge to Monsanto's conclusion - the company indicates that they won't introduce varieties until the chance of succeeding at chain and grower level is optimal to prevent financial blows and disappointments. It also gives the retail the opportunity to keep the introductions at a high level..
As of last year the powers of Novozymes and Monsanto have been bundled. The microbes are developed and produced by Novozymes. Monsanto provides the practical side of things, and the registrations and sales under the brand Monsanto AG. "A new tool in the book," concluded Pradier.
Finally, the formal part of the Breeding Proof encompassed a talk with Chantal de Rijk-Bex, director of commerce and marketing for Jan Linders Supermarkten. Sustainability is also important for supermarkets, although De RIjk showed that there is another side to the story. The company has a lot to do with NGOs. "I immediately wonder what some substance parties think of these kinds of substances," she laughs. But food waste also has other branches. "Every year seven out of ten introductions into food disappear off the shelf. This is a waste of a lot of knowledge and budget," she says. "We want to bring the chain, consumer and research closer together and produce in a way less focussed on hypes." The supermarket is therefore open to the small scale testing of innovative products. A good bridge to Monsanto's conclusion - the company indicates that they won't introduce varieties until the chance of succeeding at chain and grower level is optimal to prevent financial blows and disappointments. It also gives the retail the opportunity to keep the introductions at a high level..
Read more about what is important for supermarkets in the fresh segment
The evening ended with a delicious dinner in this special location and a few networking drinks.