During the last 12 months, water-related stresses have been increasingly dominating the headlines in Europe. From the devastating floods in France, Spain, and Italy to severe drought across the south, the changing climate is fuelling awareness that using water safely, cleanly, and sustainably is key to all of our futures.
That view is also gaining strong support from key politicians. Following her recent re-election as President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen described water resilience as “a big priority” for 2024-2029.
Greek MEP Dimitras Tsiodras tells The Parliament that responsible water management is now high on the agenda for all European politicians, particularly those representing countries experiencing increasing shortages.
“Coming from south eastern Europe, water is a topic very close to my heart,” he explains. “Water security is one of the major upcoming challenges in my home country of Greece – therefore it is one of the political priorities for this term.”
Nowhere is the challenge of responsible water usage more pressing than the agriculture sector. Agriculture accounts for around a third of all water use in Europe, affecting both the quantity and the quality of water available for other purposes.
The EU itself is actively working to promote more efficient and sustainable water management practices in agriculture, with a range of existing policies and directives and an upcoming Water Resilience Strategy that will be a catalyst for further change.
However, transforming the way that European farmers use water requires more than policies and directives. The agriscience industry must also play a critical role by developing new products and approaches that reduce water use, minimize pollution, and maintain food security.
Through innovative products and approaches, we can reduce how much water crops require and minimise the damage caused to the water supply
Andreas Huber is Regulatory and Stewardship Leader, EMEA, at agricultural technology company Corteva Agriscience. He tells The Parliament that Corteva is committed to working alongside legislators and policymakers to help Europe meet its objectives on water use and quality.
“Every farmer, and indeed every home gardener, knows that plants need water to grow. That fact is never going to change,” he says. “But through innovative products and cropping systems we can reduce how much water crops require and minimise the depletion of water resources in vulnerable areas.”
Corteva has already made a series of ambitious commitments to support water stewardship advances in European agricultural production. The company has also substantially invested in product innovation, placing it at the forefront of industry efforts to create a European agricultural sector able to meet tomorrow’s challenges.
Those solutions are desperately needed by European farmers as they attempt to navigate a very different future. MEP Tsiodras has seen first-hand the challenges that water stress is causing to agriculture in countries such as his own. Those challenges are only going to grow.
“Water stress is already affecting 20% of Europe’s territory, and 30% of its population, with an estimated economic cost of €9bn annually,” MEP Tsiodras says. “These figures are likely to increase because of the climate crisis.”
Corteva’s focus is on the twin objectives of enhancing water-use efficiency and improving water quality through investment in product innovation. All of Corteva’s new crop protection products are thoroughly tested to exclude any adverse effect on ground and surface water, while 100% of new seed offerings improve water-use efficiency compared to current standards.
Corteva has also developed innovative technologies like AQUAmax®, which boosts crop resilience to drought by enhancing water retention and root growth. Additionally, products such as Utrisha™ N reduce nitrogen leeching into groundwater whilst Sosdia™ protects crops from drought and heat by optimising water usage.
“For too long, agriculture has been seen as part of the water problem,” Huber tells us. “But our investment in cutting-edge innovation demonstrates that Corteva believes it can be part of the solution.”
MEP Tsiodras says water management processes must improve to adapt to the “rapid and large-scale changes” facing the world. “We must intensify our efforts to explore the potential ways to improve water efficiency through measures such as minimising leakage, employing water efficient devices and processes, and increasing water re-use,” he says.
He adds that cross-sector cooperation must play an essential part of any Europe-wide solution, as “public authorities alone cannot address these challenges.” “We need stakeholder collaboration, synergies, and public-private partnerships to find effective solutions,” he adds.
That spirit of partnership and investment in innovation must be at the heart of Europe’s approach if food security is to be maintained in an era of growing water scarcity.