Agricultural chemical business boss, Greg Hunt, believes food security reality has hit home in Europe where policy makers are re-thinking the impact of the European Union's ambitious agenda to halve farm chemical use by 2030.
Last week the EU executive made a snap decision to shelve its agricultural chemical restrictions.
It was one of several moves, including backing down on farm greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, following weeks of high profile farmer protests which blocked European cities and slowed economic activity on the continent to a crawl.
It also followed what the Nufarm managing director said had been a rise in unease about food production and food affordability in Europe since the Ukraine war erupted two years ago.
Even Europe's long-entrenched opposition to genetically modified crops and gene editing had seen some flexibility as Norway (a non-EU member) approved Nufarm's Omega 3 canola for use in aquaculture food by its huge salmon farming sector.
Under pressure
On the other hand, however, Mr Hunt said EU farmer access to crop protection and other realistic management options, had been subjected to often unscientific political pressures, driven by campaigns from well outside the food supply chain.
Contentious EU food production policies threatened to undermine farmers' yield capacities and reduce their ability to stay profitable and committed to the food and fibre supply chain.
The 27-nation European bloc had planned to cut ag chemical use to for a 50 per cent of 2015-2017 volumes by the end of the decade, while also having a quarter of all agricultural output qualifying as organic by 2030.
Fertiliser use and nutrient waste reduction strategies were also part of the EU "farm to fork strategy", while livestock antimicrobial products sales had to be halved, too.
When you're designing agricultural policy, you shouldn't forget it needs to be done with farmers - not over the top of farmers
- Greg Hunt, Nufarm
Mr Hunt said implementation of these ambitious plans presented significant practical and bureaucratic challenges for the farm supply chain and would have a huge impact on EU agriculture and food production systems.
"When you're designing agricultural policy, you shouldn't forget it needs to be done with farmers - not over the top of farmers," Mr Hunt said.
"I'm not burying my head in the sand and saying the world needs to continue using crop protection the way it always has - but common sense needs to apply here."
A "collective amnesia" about the realities of food production and the risks of food supply shortages meant too many agenda-driven citizen influencers had started deciding agricultural policies.
They had conveniently ignored the sustainability benefits enabled by products like the often-demonised broad spectrum herbicide, glyphosate.
"Thanks to glyphosate, no-till and minimum tillage farming has been one of the biggest advances in agricultural sustainability - replacing multiple cultivations which meant greater diesel emissions and soil moisture loss and erosion."
CropLife Australia chief executive officer, Matthew Cossey, said it appeared common sense was starting to emerge, although given Europe's history of food security scares, it was "quite staggering it has taken as long as it has to for them to wake up".
European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen's decision to withdraw her administration's proposal to halve farm chemical use in the EU last week won applause in the European parliament from pro-farming campaigners.
The farm sector also scored a win late last year with the EC agreeing to extend the registration of glyphosate for 10 years, despite vocal opponents wanting its use banned or severely restrained.
However, Mr Cossey was still frustrated with the French government's attempts to appease its farmers by focusing on potentially blocking fruit and vegetable imports treated with chemicals which were currently banned in France.
The Australian grain sector is concerned the import bans may expand to include crops such as canola.
Look at the science
"Rather than suggesting the rest of the world is wrong, and banning overseas product imports, the French government could take a good look at the science and their responsibilities to their own farmers.
"There are real consequences which flow to agricultural capacity from imposing ridiculous non-science based, city-warped decisions."
Nufarm's Mr Hunt said the farm chemical industry fully acknowledged it must evolve with changing agricultural pest and weed challenges, community expectations and technology opportunities.
The big Australian-based chemical business accepted some of its own chemistry had to be deregistered from sale in Europe, leaving the company to find new ways to deal with weed and pest control challenges.
Globally, the crop protection sector spent about $US5 billion annually on research to meet and beat those challenges.
Nufarm's own work included partnering with German firm, Crop.Zone, developing chemical-free desiccation and weed control using plant electrification.
He conceded, however, despite the obvious evidence of "botched experiments like Sri Lanka's attempt to go organic", the industry also had to push itself to do a better job with consumers explaining the farm productivity and food security story.
It had to challenge the absence of facts which often dictated the crop protection discussion, leaving consumers confused and switching off.
Andrew Marshall
Andrew Marshall is the group agribusiness writer for ACM's state agricultural weeklies and websites. He is a former editor at The Land and has worked in various Rural Press group roles in Canberra, North Richmond (NSW) and Toowoomba (Qld).
Andrew Marshall is the group agribusiness writer for ACM's state agricultural weeklies and websites. He is a former editor at The Land and has worked in various Rural Press group roles in Canberra, North Richmond (NSW) and Toowoomba (Qld).
