AYIA NAPA, Cyprus (AP) — Officials from nine southern European Union countries pledged Tuesday to work together to develop more water-saving technologies in agriculture, as the prospect of worsening droughts puts extra pressure on farmers and threatens food security.
The pledges were made at a meeting in Cyprus of the so-called MED9 countries – France, Greece, Italy, Croatia, Portugal, Malta, Spain and Slovenia – to tackle growing water scarcity caused by climate change, particularly in the Mediterranean, which they say is hit harder than other parts of the 27-member bloc.
The officials also pledged to share technical and practical data and launch joint research programs to make water use as efficient as possible.
“Climate change is a real threat to food production worldwide, and this risk is even more serious in the Mediterranean,” Spanish Agriculture Minister Luis Planas told the meeting. “We must combat climate change and at the same time adapt the working conditions of our farmers to this new climate situation.”
Cyprus’ Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou warned that Europe suffered one of the world’s worst droughts last year, citing local examples of “smart” irrigation systems and technologies that help protect crops, generate energy and save water by 30%.
Portuguese Agriculture Minister José Manuel Fernandes urged more European Union funding to finance new water-saving technologies and create new incentives to attract young people and revitalise the ageing farming population.
French Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau highlighted the latest techniques helping to create new crops that can thrive in harsh climate conditions, while Fernandes said so-called genomic research is “completely different” from genetically modified crops that have caused controversy within the bloc in the past.
The MED9 officials also urged the EU to develop a common approach to water conservation, taking into account regional requirements.
“As the climate crisis will have a major impact on global food security, climate change adaptation must be at the heart of our common policies,” said Mateja Čalušić, Slovenia’s Minister of Agriculture.
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