Biotech industry calls for €450m investment in food innovation

The Dutch agriculture sector has urged the government to invest €450 million in food technology to maintain the Netherlands' position as a global leader. Biotech companies and institutions like Wageningen University argue that €1 billion will be required by 2040 for plant breeding and innovation, primarily to address climate change challenges.

Fifty companies and research institutions met with Economic Affairs Minister Heleen Herbert and Agriculture Minister Silvio Erkens to request increased funding for the sector during a gathering at Wageningen University.

Sjouke Heimovaara, the president of Wageningen University and Research, likened the need for investment to that of a government-backed project, Project Beethoven, which allocated €2.5 billion to the Eindhoven region to support major technology companies such as ASML. She stated that crops must continually be bred to withstand new diseases, rising temperatures due to climate change, and increased salt content in groundwater.

Heimovaara emphasized that while the Netherlands is currently a global leader in this area, failure to act would result in the export of seed and harvesting machines to China.

Heimovaara argued that funding public facilities for agriculture is justified by the broader economic benefits, comparing it to the essential infrastructure needed for motorways. Agriculture Minister Erkens acknowledged that securing the full €450 million might be challenging, but suggested existing subsidies reserved for limiting crop protection measures could be repurposed for food innovation purposes.