Agrosciences : L'avenir est dans l'énergie et la chimie[en] 

Dr Markwart Kunz, one of the founding members of the  'Plants for the Future'  technology platform and a member of the board of the German sugar manufacturer Südzucker, one of the major processors of plants in Europe, explains to EurActiv.com why plant sciences matter. He also explains his view on why European society tends to be somewhat cautious with regards new food technologies.

To read a shortened version of this interview, please click here.   

What is the 'Plants for the Future' technology platform about? 

It is about better integrating plant science into the whole chain of sciences and industries to develop technologies for the better use of plants. 

What are the R&D challenges with regards to plant science?

The main challenge for all crops is the input-output ratio. We need to try to reduce the input and improve the performance of crops, thus reducing the need for fertilisers and water supply, and increase crops' stress resistance. It is also about getting rid of some components in plants that are not so healthy. 

So, these are challenges for all mankind: healthy, safe and sufficient food and feed. Therefore, we need to integrate our research. 

Another topic is chemicals and bioenergy, the use of plants for bioenergy purposes. Our forefathers used plants' potential far more than we use it today, for food, feed and construction. In the future, we aim to use plants for energy and as a source of chemicals. 

We need to broaden the use of plants and to use more and better adapted varieties. Better adapted to the environment in which they are planted, on the one hand, and to their specific task on the other. For example, to grow wheat for bread, you need the wheat to have a high protein content, whereas to produce bioenergy from wheat, you don’t need high protein content in the plant, just the amount that the plant can grow. To have a high protein content you need to use more fertilisers. So, using less fertilisers and growing a wheat variety that has a high starch content would have a big impact. 

What are the technologies used to engineer plants? 

Plants do not need to be solely bio-engineered or genetically modified. Genetic modification is only a tool. You need gene technology as a tool and maybe the outcome is a gene-modified crop, but not necessarily. Our platform is not only about using gene-modification - this is only one of the tools available. 

The platform is about understanding better what the trigger to improve the input-output ratio should be, for example. Perhaps in the future, breeders can use this knowledge to grow better plants. At present, we are not sure what the biochemical triggers are to produce more sugar, for example. Some biochemical pathways are known, but how to trigger growth is not yet fully understood. To improve this knowledge will have a very big impact to future societies. 

Is it a challenge to convince and reassure society of the benefits of these new technologies,? 

People believe, for example, that organisations such as Greenpeace are giving them good advice. However, for me, it is very easy to understand. If people don't need something new today, they don't want it now...But they might need it in the future and that is why we need to act and research now, so that people can continue to live in a healthy and wealthy condition. A very different situation from, say, a new drug, for example. If you are ill and want to get better then you will even accept risks. Taking a drug is always risky. 

The problem in the discussion in the food area is that European society is very wealthy. People are generally healthy and wealthy and they fear that this condition will inevitably worsen because of new technologies that they don't understand. So, it is more about general risk discussion. We need to prepare for the future and try to improve our quality of life. That is Plants for the Future.