AN AGRICULTURE KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM FOR EUROPE?

1. AN AGRICULTURE KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM FOR EUROPE? Fons Werrij EURAGRI Secretary General XIX EURAGRI Members Conference, 22/23 September 2005 Central Science Laboratory, York, UK

2. THE KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM SHOULD BE AT THE SERVICE OF: POLICYANDINDUSTRYANDCIVIL SOCIETY

3. AGRICULTURE IS THE pars pro toto EXPRESSION FORTHE ENSEMBLE OF: • The exploitation of the natural and biological resources • Human nutrition • Rural society

4. WE KNOW THE RESEARCH AGENDA: • SUSTAINABILITY • SAFETY AND HEALTH • (COST-)EFFICIENCY AND PROFITABILITY • VITALITY of RURAL AREA • ETHICAL ACCEPTABILITY

5. THE TYPE OF KNOWLEDGE THAT IS NEEDED: NATURAL SCIENCES TECHNICAL SCIENCES SOCIAL SCIENCES HUMANITIES

6. FIRST OBSERVATION:ALL SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL DISCIPLINES OF THE NEEDED KNOWLEDGE BASE ARE PRESENT FIRST QUESTION: HOW TO TURN THE KNOWLEDGE BASE IN A KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM? • THE INITIAL APPROACH • THE PAST APPROACH • THE PRESENT/FUTURE APPROACH

7. THE INITIAL APPROACH ORGANISATION AND GOVERNANCE OF THE SCIENCE(AND DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION, EXTENSION, TRAINING ETC): • UNANYMOUS MISSION • ONE SINGLE SPONSOR • NARROW KNOWLEDGE BASE • NO SOCIETAL DISPUTE • NATIONAL DIMENSIONS RESULT: NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS

8. THE PAST APPROACH: COORDINATION OF THE SCIENCE • INTERNATIONAL AND EUROPEAN DIMENSIONS • DIVERGENCE OF INTERESTS AND MISSIONS • WIDENING KNOWLEDGE BASE • SPONSORSHIP PROBLEMS • SOCIETAL CHANGES AND DISPUTES RESULT: THE NATIONAL SYSTEMS HAVE LOST THEIR MONOPOLISTIC STATUS

9. THE PRESENT/FUTURE APPROACH COORDINATION OF THE NEEDS AND DEMANDS • VARIABLE DIMENSIONS (REGIONAL, NATIONAL, GLOBAL) • SEPARATED INTERESTS • GENERAL KNOWLEDGE BASE • CUSTOMISED SPONSORSHIP RESULT: AN OPEN MARKET FOR SCIENCE AND EXPERTISE

10. SECOND OBSERVATION:“AGRICULTURAL KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM” WILL HENCEFORTH BE DEFINED BY THE USERS. RESPONSES AND CHALLENGES FOR: • POLICY • INDUSTRY • CIVIL SOCIETY • SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY

11. RESPONSES AND CHALLENGES OF POLICY • CUSTOMISED SPONSORING IS ALREADY THERE • MULTILATERAL COOPERATION AND COORDINATION (NEW SCAR; PREFARN GROUP) • APPRAISEL OF SPECIFIC AND COMMON INTERESTS • PROTECTION AND COMPETITION • INITIATIVE TAKEN BY POLICY MAKERS

12. RESPONSES AND CHALLENGES OF INDUSTRY • SOME PRODUCT CHAINS ARE TAKING INITIATIVES (EUROCROP) • SOME SECTORS ARE TAKING INITIATIVES (ISHS-EUROPE; PLANT BREEDERS) • BIG COMPANIES GO ‘IN HOUSE’, LEAVE EUROPE OR APPLY CUSTOMISED SPONSORING • SMO’S IN AGRI-FOOD-ENVIRONMENT ARE TOO DIVERSE AND TOO POOR • FARMING INDUSTRY IS WELL ORGANISED BUT HAS NO SCIENCE POLICY • FARMERS AND SMO’S ARE LOOSING ACCES

13. RESPONSES AND CHALLENGES OF CIVIL SOCIETY • TOO POOR TO ‘BUY’ ACCES TO THE KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM • TOO SHATTERED TO TURN PUBLIC AWARENESS IN SUBSTANTIAL AND CONSTRUCTIVE POLITICAL POWER • APPRAISAL OF CONSUMERS’ ATTITUDE AND CIVILIANS’ CONCERNS

14. RESPONSES AND CHALLENGES OF SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY • SOME INSTITUTES APPLY SURVIVAL STRATEGIES • INSTITUTES ARE BEING REINTEGRATED IN THE UNIVERSITIES • ATTUNE TO AND ANTICIPATE TO DEMAND • HELP THE CLIENTELE TO GET ORGANISED • ESCAPE THE PRISON OF CUSTOMISED SPONSORSHIP

15. UNANSWERED CONCERN • WHAT ABOUT COHERENCE?

16. PROPOSAL:THE EUROPEAN AGRICULTURAL KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM IS THE ‘ENSEMBLE’ OF THOSE INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS, COMPANIES AND INDIVIDUALS THAT CHOOSE TO MANIFEST THEMSELVES AT A: EUROPEAN PLATFORM OF POLICY, INDUSTRY, CIVIL SOCIETY AND SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY IN THE FIELDS OF NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT, FOOD PRODUCTION, NUTRITION AND RURAL SOCIETY ENABLING THE EXCHANGE OF VIEWS, THE CONCERTATION OF STRATEGIES AND THE PROMOTION OF COMMON INTERESTS.