Plant biotechnology - a silver bullet for global challenges?

In an attempt to "launch a new area of plant biotechnology in Europe", a new paper on the future of plant biotechnology has been presented to Research Commissioner Busquin by representatives from biotechnology research, industry, farming and consumer organisations.

The authors of the paper have high hopes for the role of plant biology in combatting the challenges the world will face over the next 20 years: population growth, fossil fuels shortage and the resulting need for food, biofuels and biomaterials from renewable plant-based resources. Plant biotechnology, claims the paper, will be instrumental in addressing these challenges.

The paper calls for a European technology platform on plant biotechnology research, which should be aimed at:

• Developing a strategic research agenda and selling it to industry;
• Boosting public and private R&D investment;
• Promoting societal consensus through mutual understanding and communication.

The European biotechnology sector used to be at the leading edge, but in its latest progress report of April 2004, the Commission warned that Europe is falling behind its main competitor, the US (see EurActiv's

). This is mainly reflected in the level of investment in the sector: while US biotech firms spend 650 million euro a year on R&D, this investment only reaches 400 million euro in the EU.

"Europe's leading position has drastically deteriorated in recent years, due to public concerns over the impact of these technologies, insufficient communication of the benefits of this technology to the public, and lack of strategic research programmes as compared to our competitors," warned Commissioner Busquin.