Just as important it is to produce and communicate what is grown
Agriculture in the XXI century society is as necessary as unknown. It is the conclusion of the last general assembly and the press conference of the Business Association for Plant Protection (AEPLA). They are the consumer aware of the important role that agriculture plays in the production of fresh foods every day arrive at your table? This and other questions have led to AEPLA to launch the “I Perception Survey and Image Agriculture” conducted by the consulting Commends and now the results are made public.
Adonay Obando
In the general assembly of AEPLA recently held in Madrid, they were elected governing bodies and Adonay Obando named president, CEO of Bayer CropScience Iberia.
The appointment brought together representatives of phytosanitary and agriculture, institutional authorities, academics, NGOs, consumer associations and the media, who discussed whether the distance presupposing between the countryside and the city is true, and if so what they have been the reasons that caused it and why the distorted image of the supermini is the agricultural sector.
Is the consumer aware of the important role that agriculture plays in the production of fresh foods every day arrive at your table ?, have sufficient information on controls that ensure the safety of our food ?, What concept has the citizen of agriculture as an economic sector ?, can differentiate the different agricultural production systems and the advantages that each offers? These and other questions led to AEPLA to launch the “I Perception Survey and Image Agriculture” conducted by the consulting Commends and now the results are made public. Similarly, the main conclusion is drawn widespread ignorance that the public has of agriculture and different production systems.
Indeed, during the press conference the same day by AEPLA and AVA ASAJA, representatives of both organizations were concerned by the data obtained from this study. Cristobal Aguado, president of AVA-ASAJA, defended the professionalism and accountability not always recognized farmers, and wondered whether the company really knows that every day are they who guarantee food arriving at our table, meeting the excessive demands not always facilitate their work.
Indeed, the need for a regulatory environment that encourages innovation spoke Carlos Palomar, director general AEPLA, who noted misinformation as the reason for the bad image that plant protection products are among consumers. “Citizens are unaware of the significant investment in R & D that exists behind the development of a new solution. Precisely this research effort has fostered technological advances in agriculture that puts today to our agri-food sector in the second most productive behind tourism , making us the world’s leading exporter of fruits and vegetables. ”
During the second session of the day, there was an interesting panel discussion moderated by Rafael Daniel, a journalist for The Economist Agro, in which the voice of farmers, consumers, environmental organizations, supermarkets and scientific world argued and discussed from different perspectives, the role that agriculture plays in today’s society and the image that people have of agriculture and different production systems.
For farmers, Juan Salvador Torres, Valencian Farmers Association AVA-ASAJA and vice president of Phytosanitary group COPA-COGECA, defended the work that his group carried out to ensure sufficient food production quality while respecting the strict environmental regulations. “Farmers have environmental sensitivity and therefore act accordingly. Plant health is essential for the viability of our productions, for that reason the professionalism of our group is the best guarantee for the security of consumers and protection of our environment.”
One of the most relevant survey data presented, is that only 8% of respondents had heard of integrated farming, associating it with the protection and improvement of the environment, natural resources, genetic diversity and soil conservation and landscape. Precisely in relation to this point, Celsa Peiteado representative of WWF Spain on Agriculture and Rural Development, said that the term “integrated production” is difficult to understand, for that reason it is necessary to provide all possible information to consumers about this production system land.
Report was undoubtedly the most repeated word during the course of the debate, the same information that referred Peiteado is essential for food security, or what is the same ” foods responsible for responsible consumers “in the words Jean Bernard Audureau, director of communication ASEGCO. At this point, I could not miss the view of the distribution, in this case represented by Felipe Medina, Head of Agro-Food Chain ASEDAS, who said: “The products we sell are safe, regardless of the type of production chosen, conventional, integrated or ecological “.
One of the main conclusions of the study presented, is the great disinformation that the citizen has of plant health, which has created a distorted picture of plant protection products, medicines from plants, intended to protect crops from pests and diseases that threaten them. In the words of Dr. Rafael Mateo Soria CSIC, “generally are products applied correctly.” They are good agricultural practices the best guarantee of security of these innovative tools, key to ensuring the sustainability of agriculture, although this aspect is not known by the public. “For that reason we must inform our non-agrarian society of the benefits that the use of plant protection generates to access portions of fruit and vegetables each day reach our plate and give us quality of life than that today we enjoy and often take for granted, “said Carlos Palomar, who added:”. the actions AEPLA plans to develop in the coming years are marked by transparency and dynamism in communication and information We want to open the doors to citizens and inviting them to meet in person, answer your questions and doubts, addressing their concerns. Having all the information and hear all voices, will allow them to form a complete opinion. it will be then that his position either for or against, allow them to make the right decisions. ”
Source: AEPLA
