ALIMENTATION AGRICULTURE ENVIRONNEMENT York, 22-24/09/2005 XIX EURAGRI MEMBERS CONFERENCE, The Knowledge Challenge: Research and Innovation 1 XIX EURAGRI.

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York, 22-24/09/2005XIX EURAGRI MEMBERS CONFERENCE, The Knowledge Challenge: Research and Innovation 1

XIX EURAGRI Members ConferenceXIX EURAGRI Members Conference

The Knowledge Challenge:The Knowledge Challenge:Research and InnovationResearch and Innovation

François HoullierINRA, Scientific Director for Plant and Plant Products

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OutlineOutline

Difficulty to cover such a wide topic, at the crossroads of the evolution of agriculture per se of global social, economic and environmental changes of the progress of science and technology

A sample of ‘research challenges’ from three types generated by the joint dynamics of agriculture, societies and environment related to the inner ‘natural’ scientific and technological trends resulting from changes in the organization of R&D systems

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‘‘Global’ context and trendsGlobal’ context and trends

Agriculture as a major policy and economic issue Trade of agricultural products

Europe is a major exporter and the first importer of agricultural products Demographic pressure and the need to feed the world population

Increased competition for arable land in some countries Need to increase the productivity and competitiveness of agriculture

Other agriculture-related megatrends Urbanization changes ‘our’ relationship to Nature and to rurality An increasing aversion to risks: cf. ‘precautionary principle’ From quantity towards quality and safety of food and agricultural products Changes in, and variability of diet regimes Environmental changes

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Environmental changesEnvironmental changes

Global changes … Land use and land use changes Climatic changes Atmospheric pollution Biological invasions

including emerging animal and plant diseases Overexploitation of renewable resources

… but also local and diffuse changes such as pollutions including those related to agriculture

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Living Beyond Our Means?Living Beyond Our Means?

Observed and predicted decline of resources and of ecosystem services (http://www.millenniumassessment.org/)

Threats to natural renewable resources … … that are either affected by agriculture (and/)or key factors for the development thereof

genetic diversity, water, …Predicted decline of fossil energy resources

Opportunities for agriculture if a good link is established between producers and industries

Renewed research questions In engineering sciences, biology and genetics … … but also in agronomy, ecology, economy and social sciences (systemic approaches)

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The need to jointly consider the evolution …The need to jointly consider the evolution …

… of the agricultural systems… of the food systems… and of the environment

Natural and cultivated ecosystems Biodiversity and (renewable) natural resources (soil, water, air, etc.)

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… … and to articulate and couple various approachesand to articulate and couple various approaches

Biophysical approaches of the structure, diversity, functioning and dynamics of cultivated and natural ecosystems

Technical and technological approaches of agricultural systems, of their production and products

Territorial, social and economic approaches of agricultural activities and of their insertion in the society

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11stst challenge: agriculture and sustainable development challenge: agriculture and sustainable development

From ‘sustainable agriculture’to ‘agriculture as a component of sustainable development’

Agriculture as a component of a larger systemThree standpoints for research

New questions, new topics linked to sustainability issues e.g. incorporation of risk analysis into the economic assessment of agricultural systems

Sustainable development as a new research object per se e.g. joint appraisal of the immediate and long-term environmental, social and economic

performance of agricultural systems; trade-off analysis Sustainable development as a driver for renewing research practices and relationships

between science and action e.g. the focus on innovation (cf. Lisbon Strategy “Innovation as the motor for economic

change”) leads to new ways of doing research Products, processes, organizations, marketing Management and impacts of innovation (systemic approaches)

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Changes in, and variability of diet regimesChanges in, and variability of diet regimes

Long-term evolution of food energetic inputs in France

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

1780 1800 1820 1840 1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980

Total

Cereals – Starchy food

Animal products – Fruits and vegetables

Fat – Sugar

Ca

lori

es

/pe

rso

n/d

ay

Source: J.-C. Toutain, FAO-STAT

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

1780 1800 1820 1840 1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000

Proteins

Lipids

Glucides

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Changes in, and variability of diet regimesChanges in, and variability of diet regimes

With links with human health and epidemiology E.g. variation of

obesity among countries3,2

3,2

6

6,8

8,6

9

9,1

9,2

9,3

9,5

10

11,4

11,4

11,5

11,7

12,4

12,6

12,8

14,8

14,9

16,2

17

19,4

20,8

22

24,2

30,9

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

Japan (2001)

Korea (2001)

Norway (1998)

Switzerland (1997)

Italy (2000)

France (2000)

Austria (1999)

Sweden (2001)

Netherlands (2001)

Denmark (2000)

Ireland (1999)

Finland (2001)

Poland (1996)

Germany (1999)

Belgium (2001)

Iceland (2002)

Spain (2001)

Portugal (1999)

Czech Republic (2002)

Canada (2001)

Slovak Republic (1998)

New Zealand (1997)

Hungary (2000)

Australia (1999) a

United Kingdom (2001) a

Mexico (2000)

United States (1999) a

Source : OECD 2003

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22ndnd challenge: diet transitions and the focus on consumer challenge: diet transitions and the focus on consumer

Links between diet and lifestyleLinks with demographic and epidemiological transitions

Colon Cancer, Stroke, Coronary Heart Colon Cancer, Stroke, Coronary Heart Disease, and Type II Diabetes Potentially Disease, and Type II Diabetes Potentially

Preventable by Life-Style ModificationsPreventable by Life-Style Modifications

From: Willett, WC. Science 296:696, 2002.

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Diet transitions and the focus on consumer (2)Diet transitions and the focus on consumer (2)

‘From fork to farm’ More emphasis on food safety and on food quality

Food and diet as complex systems The necessity to avoid naïve views

Courtesy X. Leverve (INRA, DS NHSA)

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A few scientific and technological trendsA few scientific and technological trends

High throughput biologyEcological in situ observations and experimentsComputer sciences and modeling

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High throughput biology High throughput biology

From genomics to metabolomicsLarge international genome sequencing consortiaBioinformatics as a major component

New investigation techniques (in situ cell imagery, …)

The need of dedicated biological and genetic resources Natural resources Mutants

DataBases

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33rdrd challenge: towards integrative biology challenge: towards integrative biology

Genomics are in a highly productive, but still descriptive phaseThere is a strong need to develop integrative biology

Horizontal integration From the gene to the function and back using exhaustive data Linking quantitative and molecular genetics

Vertical integration (systems biology) Up- and down-scaling across organization levels Strong need of models

Transversal integration Comparative approaches across species

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The capability to trace the in situ functioning of ecosystems

Greenhouse controlled experiments Isotopic techniques

In controlled systems In natura

Long-term ecological experimentsPopulation genetics and

evolutionary biology From ‘neutral’ to ‘selected’ markers

Ecological Ecological in situin situ observations and experiments observations and experiments

A FACE system in New Zealand (courtesy J.-F. Soussana, INRA, Clermont-Ferrand)

Climatic tunnels (courtesy J.-F. Soussana, INRA, Clermont-Ferrand)

Canopy crane research facility in Oregon

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44thth challenge: biodiversity ↔ ecosystem functioning challenge: biodiversity ↔ ecosystem functioning

Assessing biodiversity, at various scales and levels of life organization, as a driver and/or as an indicator of ecosystem functioning, or per se

Inventories Functional role of biodiversity Impacts of agriculture

Understanding and controlling biodiversity dynamics Monitoring

The need of long-term experiments and of links with large-scale operational surveys Impacts of agriculture (and of other human activities)

The need of models and of experiments

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Information sciences and technologies, and modeling Information sciences and technologies, and modeling

Spatial representation of ecosystems GIS & Remote Sensing

Systemic approaches of complex situations UML models

Bioinformatics Databases, data mining, algorithms, …

Models of networks Gene regulation Metabolic functioning Ecological food web networks, …

Simulation systems Virtual plants, crops, landscapes, …

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55thth challenge: complex systems challenge: complex systems

Conceptualization of systems Many elements and many interactions

Data management Organization and storage of, and access to, very large (massive) and distributed datasets

Capability to model networks of interactions and retroactions The need of analytical tools The need of models and data

The capability to integrate knowledge into simulators

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66thth challenge: ‘Knowledge economy’ and agriculture challenge: ‘Knowledge economy’ and agriculture

Linking research, education and extension A key for innovation and long-term competitiveness

Harmonization of diploma throughout Europe Bologna, 1998

Linking agricultural research organizations to the agricultural higher education system …

Polarization of the research system … and networking… and to the industries and the associated technical R&D centres

Cf. European Technology Platforms

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Thank you for your attention!