‘No sustainability without profitability'
Speaking at the commission's conference on the Vision for Agriculture and Food in Brussels this morning (May 8), the Spaniard explained, to heavy applause, how important profitability is for farmers.
He said: 'I think that the vision has two basic meanings. The first is the fact that it provides a holistic view, on the challenges for the next future.
'The second one is that it has a dynamic view, looking to the future and looking at the challenges.
'I want just to add something, my first comment is very simple: We need profitability.'
The minister praised the EU Commissioner for Agriculture, Christophe Hansen, on the vision, and said that it is 'easier' and more business-orientated.
'I have to say too, that we have to keep our ambition from the overall point of view, that one or the other are not in contradiction,' Planas said.
'We can have a profitable farms, and we have to have sustainable farms for the future,' he added.
Profitability
According to Minister Planas, farming has 'no future' without generational renewal in the sector.
Prior to the Spanish agriculture minister's address, Commissioner Hansen had told the conference that the EU has lost more than 3 million farms, and that there are 9 million farms remaining.
Minister Planas told the conference that the challenge of generational renewal is directly linked to the challenge of innovation.
The minister said: 'We need to review, that the future is linked with innovation. New things, for example artificial intelligence, it's here in the farming sector and we are one of the pioneers in artificial intelligence, perhaps even sometimes we don't know it.
'I think that it is good that this link between conservation, and generational renewal, and innovation is there.
'The vision is not perfect, but the vision has also some good points,' the Spanish agriculture minister added.
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