ANIPLA (National Industry’s Association for Plant Protection)has announced a change in its identity and image. It has now become CropLife Portugal – Science Industry’s Association for Plant Protection, broadening the scope of its work while remaining a source of knowledge, sharing and cooperation for the benefit of the national agricultural sector.
We spoke to Felisbela Torres de Campos, President of CropLife Portugal, to find out the reasons for the change and, above all, what we can expect from it.
Societies evolve, and with them, their expectations of agriculture and the way we manage our natural resources and the people who persist in being actors in the rural world. It is in this context of transformation that Anipla is taking a bold step, shaping and embodying this change for CropLife Portugal
The change from Anipla to CropLife Portugal reflects the inherent evolution of the science industry for plant protection towards modern and sustainable agriculture. In the process, the Association is no longer confined to representing plant protection products, but is extending its scope to other areas of crop protection, such as biologically-based solutions, biotechnology and digital and precision agriculture tools, taking on a wide range of solutions that are essential to increasing the efficiency and competitiveness of agriculture and enabling the continuity of safe and sustainable food for all.
By becoming CropLife Portugal, we are closer to the reality of European and international associations, allowing us to acquire and share knowledge, experiences and resources, contributing and being part of a more solid and efficient response in the process of transforming the agricultural sector. These alliances expand our capacity to serve Portuguese farmers and to contribute to an agriculture that is more resilient and better prepared for the growing challenges that the sector faces and the risks that this entails for its professionals.
The birth of CropLife Portugal is not about solving one or more immediate problems, but about contributing to a more solid, constructive and formative vision of the agricultural sector and how our professionals can be even more efficient, now and in the future. In other words, we are aware that the challenges Portuguese farmers face are already part of our daily lives and their impact is likely to increase, so we need to find solutions that will prove effective in the long term. But for this to happen, it is essential that political decision-makers make these solutions available as quickly as the situation demands. Farmers need these tools in order to face the many challenges efficiently and effectively and to continue producing the food they need (in quantity and quality).
CropLife Portugal’s vision is one that has long been reinforced at national and European level, that only by using the most advanced technologies, biotechnology and precision agriculture, among other tools, will it be possible to: adapting agriculture to the adverse effects of climate change, which, in addition to extreme phenomena such as prolonged droughts and intense rainfall, are causing increasing pressure from pests, diseases and weeds; monitoring and managing production areas more efficiently, including the use of GPS systems, drones and sensors that allow farmers to apply water, plant protection products and other production factors precisely, reducing waste and increasing productivity; making efficient use of natural resources, using intelligent irrigation systems and soil management and conservation techniques; developing pest and disease control methods, such as biopesticides; and improving the quality and nutritional value of food, through research and development of new solutions that make crops more resistant and richer in essential nutrients.
Talking about sustainable crop protection solutions is undoubtedly talking about science, research and the application of innovations to agricultural practice. We are talking about practices and technologies that aim to protect crops from pests, diseases, weeds and other stress factors, while fully respecting the balance of ecosystems and which are economically and socially sustainable. These are solutions that promote a balance between the need to produce enough food for a growing population and the importance of preserving natural resources and biodiversity.
Techniques such as integrated protection; conservation agriculture (whether through minimum tillage or soil cover); biotechnology; precision agriculture are examples of this, which extend to the training and qualification of professionals in the best agricultural practices, such as CropLife Portugal’s Smart Farm project, accessible to all, open to the community of professionals and non-professionals, just a click away.
All together they make a unique contribution to environmental sustainability and offer farmers the chance to switch to more efficient and responsible production systems. That’s why our new identity is a commitment to the future.
The future of a Portuguese agriculture that is constantly modernizing, increasingly seeking a balance with nature and meeting the food needs of an increasingly demanding population in a context of global growth.
A future in which innovation and science will continue to be allies in the survival of agricultural activity and in the search for solutions that guarantee food security without compromising future generations.
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This article looks at an action that actively contributes to eradicating hunger, achieving food security, improving nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture. This SDG also aims to ensure that everyone has access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.
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