More than €3.6 billion will fund synergy between agriculture and science research in the European Union. Of this, €64 million will be dedicated to precision farming and digital technologies.

The investment was announced by the EU’s Agricultural Commissioner Mr. Phil Hogan at the 18th World Congress of Food Science and Technology in Dublin Ireland on August 22.  Mr. Hogan said European farmers have to be “empowered to embrace research and innovation, working in collaboration with scientists and investors to generate knowledge at an early stage.  Science research and innovation must be adaptable to the farm.”

Mr. Hogan said a joint approach to feeding a growing world population was needed as well as tackling the challenges of climate change, traceability and sustainability through the food chain and an “ageing demographic of farmers” in the western world.

The conference — Greening the Global Food Supply Chain through Innovation in Food Science and Technology — was attended by some 1,500 delegates from more than 500 different organizations and 65 countries, resulting in a global collaboration of leaders in food science, research and innovation.