Future farmers will have to shoulder the problems on the way to sustainable agriculture and food systems that currently burden the food industry. The key role of farmers, according to Maciej Krzysztofowicz representative of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, is their ability to greatly influence the agricultural sector.

The Research Center of the EU Commission teamed up with farmers across Europe to define the role of farmers. They shared their experiences about what farming is currently like for them and what they hope it will become like in the future. Taking a look at EU farmers in 2040, it turns out there will be about 12 types of farmers.

It is important to remember that industry changes and transitions will come with obstacles. With regard to this information, Maciej said, “In terms of transitions, it is not a smooth path, and it is not something you can model and it will occur gradually over time. It is something where you actually change a lot. Second, it is not a uniform process – it will be different for different people with various motivations, but also for models too, so we have to prepare a transition which actually takes into account this diversity.”

 

Sustainable food – food secured for everyone

A discussion on transformational solutions for sustainable agriculture and food systems followed Maciej’s presentation with business, education, and policy representatives. Among the speakers of the discussion were Prof. Dr. Viktoras Pranckietis – Chairman of the Rural Affairs Committee of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, Andrius Pranckevičius – Deputy Chairman at the Linas Agro Group, Astrida Miceikienė – Chancellor of the Agriculture Academy at Vytautas Magnus university, Dr. Arūnas Svitojus – Chairman of the Chamber of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania and Rokas Morkūnas – Policy Manager of Business at OECD (BIAC).

In accordance with Prof. Dr. Viktoras Pranckietis’ words, everyone strongly agreed that sustainable food ensures food security for all. As for transitional impact, it ought to be done without distinguishing between politicians’ and businesses’ efforts, since only constant cooperation produces results.

Furthermore, Maciej Krzysztofowicz emphasized the importance of experimentation in the industry for achieving effective results. However, Andrius Pranckevičius, suggested that we need to pay attention to the risks related to the production of food.

 

Agriculture is a conservative industry in Lithuania

An answer to a question about conservatism in the agriculture sector in Lithuania from Astrida Miceikienė, Chancellor of the Agriculture Academy at Vytautas Magnus University, was about inevitable changes: “global changes really blur the line between what is traditional and what is not. Everything changes in agriculture. The new functions of farmers will emerge, and new business models will appear. And we as a science institution speak about new professions because we need to transform our perception.”

Visions of sustainable transformation

Dr. Arūnas Svitojus expressed that he had many visions about transformation. Changing eating habits and changing consumption patterns are both critical aspects of transformation, according to him. The diet of a third of the population is based on artificial milk because they are unable to consume dairy products. It is already becoming the norm that many products will be replaced, and we must adapt to this new reality as it changes.

We need to introduce a lot of brand-new technologies and innovations, according to the second remark. He shared the experience of farming 100 cows with only one person who manages to keep track of everything thanks to robots in other countries like Slovenia and Ireland. Despite having massive technological capabilities, Lithuania doesn’t make use of them. As well as education and more funding, he said, “we need to find innovative ways to facilitate the work of farms.”

Rokas Morkūnas discussed the OECD’s work, which allows governments to compare experiences, find solutions to common challenges, identify successful practices, and develop high standards in economic policy. According to him, the OECD is working on science-based solutions and decisions, since they are crucial for progress. A great example of a cross-policy application would be closing the productivity gap between developing and developed countries.

 

Towards transformative solutions for sustainable agriculture and food systems

A discussion on transformational solutions for sustainable agriculture and food systems followed Maciej’s presentation with business, education, and policy representatives. Among the speakers of the discussion were Prof. Dr. Viktoras Pranckietis – Chairman of the Rural Affairs Committee of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, Andrius Pranckevičius – Deputy Chairman at the Linas Agro Group, Astrida Miceikienė – Chancellor of the Agriculture Academy at Vytautas Magnus university, Dr. Arūnas Svitojus – Chairman of the Chamber of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania and Rokas Morkūnas – Policy Manager of Business at OECD (BIAC).