Economics, ecology and efficiency can and should coexist, because sustainable agribusiness is not about "less profit for the sake of the environment", but about smart investments that bring benefits both now and in the future.
This opinion was expressed by Viktoriya Nagirnyak, head of the social compliance and sustainable practices expertise group of MHP, in an article on AgroPortal.ua.
According to her, Ukraine, as part of the European agricultural landscape, has a unique chance not only to join the new agricultural policy, but also to become a leader in transformations in Eastern Europe: "A smart combination of our potential, modern practices, environmental protection and social responsibility can not only increase competitiveness, but also become a new model for the countries of the region."
In turn, independent expert Vladyslav Sedyk adds that the EU has finally realized that they have over-regulated farming within the framework of the implementation of green initiatives, and it has become unprofitable. However, a sustainable approach, on the contrary, can be a competitive advantage. And Ukraine has every chance to outpace Europe in the implementation of modern solutions and become an example for European colleagues.
Thanks to less state regulation of the industry, Ukraine has an advantage in implementing modern solutions. However, as of now, it remains unclear to the Ukrainian agricultural producer which initiatives within the Green Deal revision will be changed. We are integrating into the European community and must maintain a balance so as not to implement what Europeans will abandon. Therefore, we have the opportunity to learn from other people's mistakes.
With the right approach, focused on innovation, European agriculture can create a sustainable and stable food system for the future, adds Petra Laux, Chief Sustainability Officer and Head of Sustainable Crop Protection and Corporate Affairs at Syngenta Group.
She believes that it is necessary to focus on three key areas so that farmers have access to a diverse and effective set of tools and can respond to the dual challenge: increasing productivity while improving environmental results.
We are talking about biocontrol, in particular, the EU needs special legislation to speed up the approval of biological products for the protection of plants from pests and diseases, as well as new genomic techniques that can provide farmers with high-yielding varieties and hybrids resistant to climate change faster, reducing breeding cycles from 10 to several years.
"And the digitalization of agriculture. Technologies like CROPWISE are transforming agriculture with AI, remote monitoring and data analytics, enabling more accurate and sustainable farming practices," summarizes Petra Laux.