Climate change also threatens the food industry. The faster introduction of changes and innovations in technologies will also help to mitigate its consequences. They established it on Monday representatives of the food sector, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MPRV) of the Slovak Republic, academic and scientific community at the conference on innovations and investments in the food industry at the Nestlé plant in Prievidza.
“In connection with especially climate change and population growth on earth, it is expected that it will be necessary to increase production globally by 50 to 70 percent, but at the same time we will be able to use resources 20 to 50 percent less. The capacities of the earth will reach their limits and without new technologies and innovative solutions we will not be able to satisfy this demand for food,” said Daniel Poturnay, president of the Food Chamber of Slovakia (PKS).
According to him, farmers should count on new, more resistant cultivars, and the food industry must also adapt to this – innovate and increase technological possibilities. “Slovakia is already lagging far behind other countries in the European Union (EU). Support for increasing competitiveness and technological equipment is provided to an insufficient extent. The challenges that await us from the application of the so-called green agreement at the EU level are great, and unless we grasp it in time, we will not be able to compete in the future.” he stated.
Head of the Department of Agriculture Richard Takac (Smer-SD) pointed out that the country is lagging behind in terms of the food sector. “For 30 years, the food industry has always been on the back burner. We produce raw materials from milk to cereals, but we lack a processing industry. We do not have enough of it to be able to ensure and gradually increase food self-sufficiency. And that is also the task of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of the Slovak Republic,” he stated.
The minister declared that the department will do everything to ensure that, together with the European Commission, when modifying the project calls, they try to transform and transfer part of the finances to the food industry sector, including in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic, under which part of the food industry falls. According to him, the government is ready to support new businesses, including through tax breaks and benefits. “What is very important is that the legislation in Slovakia is not so bureaucratic,” he noted.
Nestlé Slovakia CEO Martin Mittner mentioned that the food plant in Prievidza has been investing in innovation for many years, which is one of the key ways to increase its competitiveness. “For the last three or four years, it is an amount that exceeds 20 million euros. We managed to significantly increase the capacity of some lines, but at the same time we added new technologies to automate some routine activities,” added Mittner.
