European Plan t Science Organisation Discussion Document “Plants for the Future – a National e-Consultation on Priorities & Opportunities for Plant Research in Ireland & Europe” Prepared by: Dr. Charles Spillane, EPSO National Coordinator, Genetics & Biotechnology Lab, Biochemistry Dept & Biosciences Institute, LM2.10, University College Cork (UCC) Cork, Ireland. E-mail: [email protected] & Catherine O’ Mahony, Science Policy Researcher, Genetics & Biotechnology Lab, Biochemistry Dept & Biosciences Institute, LM2.10, University College Cork (UCC) Cork, Ireland. E-mail: [email protected] 3rd April 2006 1 Table of Contents Executive Summary............................................................................................................ 5 Introduction....................................................................................................................... 17 Background to the National Consultation......................................................................... 18 Sectors, stakeholders and respondents to e-survey........................................................... 19 Response rate to the e-survey & disaggregation of respondents .................................. 19 Research topics and areas of the respondents ............................................................... 24 Plant Research Strategy, Challenges, Capacity & Priorities............................................. 25 Need for a European Plant Research Strategy 2010-2025?.......................................... 25 Does Ireland have sufficient research capacity in plant research to contribute to addressing the four challenges? .................................................................................... 27 What priority are the four challenges for plant research in Ireland & in the European Union?........................................................................................................................... 32 Challenge 1: Develop and produce safe and sufficient food & feed ................................ 35 Goal 1.1: Develop and produce safe and high-quality food ......................................... 35 Goal 1.2: Create (functional) food products targeted at specific consumer groups and needs ............................................................................................................................. 37 Challenge 1 Spotlight 1: Functional Foods................................................................... 41 Goal 1.3: Produce safe, high quality, sufficient and sustainable feed .......................... 42 Challenge 1 Spotlight 2: Plant research for healthier foods and diets .......................... 45 Challenge two: Sustainable agriculture, forestry and landscape ...................................... 47 Goal 2.1: Improve plant productivity and quality......................................................... 47 Goal 2.2: Reduce and optimise the environmental impact of agriculture..................... 49 Goal 2.3: Boost biodiversity ......................................................................................... 51 Goal 2.4: Enhance the aesthetical value and sustainability of the landscape ............... 54 Challenge three: Green products....................................................................................... 57 Main Goal 3.1: Plants as a basis for renewable resources ............................................ 57 Goal 3.1.1. Improving the efficiency of existing industrial crops and the utility of their products......................................................................................................................... 57 Goal 3.1.2 Expanding the quality of raw materials and product range of industrial crops – new plant-based raw materials with widened utility: ................................................ 59 Challenge 3 Spotlight: Biofuels.................................................................................... 61 Goal 3.2: Plant-based pharmaceutical and diagnostic products.................................... 62 Challenge four: Competitiveness, consumer choice and governance............................... 65 Goal 4.1: Vibrant basic research................................................................................... 65 Goal 4.1.2: Undertake plant systems biology ............................................................... 66 Goal 4.1.3: Develop improved research tools and processes........................................ 68 2 Goal 4.1.4: Develop improved genetic systems for crop improvement ....................... 69 Goal 4.2: Improving human resources, infrastructure and networking ........................ 70 Capacity for Coordination at different levels................................................................ 74 Goal 4.3: Public and consumer involvement ................................................................ 75 Goal 4.4: Ethics, safety, legal and financial environment ............................................ 77 Intellectual Property Rights & Plant Research ............................................................. 78 Plant Research and Developing Countries.................................................................... 80 National Capacity for Plant Research in Ireland........................................................... 81 Overall recommendations/findings................................................................................... 85 Appendix 1: Roles & responsibilities of respondents across different sectors surveyed ....................................................................................................................................... 86 Appendix 2 (a),(b),(c): Priorities for plant research in Ireland and EU disaggregated by the sector of the respondents......................................................................................... 87 Appendix 3a & 3b: Priorities for Goal 1.1 (Develop and produce safe and high-quality food).............................................................................................................................. 89 Appendix 4a & 4b: priorities for goal 1.2 (Create (functional) food products targeted at specific consumer groups and needs) ........................................................................... 90 Appendix 5a & 5b: Priorities for Goal 1.3 (Produce safe, high quality, sufficient and sustainable feed)............................................................................................................ 91 Appendix 6a & 6b: Priorities for Goal 2.1 (Improve plant productivity and quality).. 92 Appendix 7(a) and (b): Priorities for goal 2.2: (Reduce and optimise the environmental impact of agriculture).................................................................................................... 93 Appendix 8(a) and (b): Priorities for goal 2.3: (Boost biodiversity) ............................ 94 Appendix 9(a) and (b): Priorities for goal 2.4: (Enhance the aesthetical value and sustainability of the landscape)..................................................................................... 95 Appendix 10(a) and (b): Priorities for goal 3.1.1: (Improving the efficiency of existing industrial crops and the utility of their products).......................................................... 96 Appendix 11(a) and (b): Priorities for goal 3.1.2: Expanding the quality of raw materials and product range of industrial crops – new plant-based raw materials with widened utility .............................................................................................................. 97 Appendix 12(a) and (b): Priorities for goal 3.2: Plant-based pharmaceutical and diagnostic products ....................................................................................................... 98 Appendix 13(a) and (b): Priorities for goal 4.1.1 Genome sequencing and biodiversity ....................................................................................................................................... 99 Appendix 14(a) and (b): Priorities for goal 4.1.2: Undertake plant systems biology. 100 Appendix 15(a) and (b): Priorities for goal 4.1.3: Develop improved research tools and processes ..................................................................................................................... 101 Appendix 16(a) and (b): Priorities for goal 4.1.4: Develop improved genetic systems for crop improvement ................................................................................................. 102 Appendix 17(a) and (b): Priorities for goal 4.2: Improving human resources, infrastructure and networking..................................................................................... 103 3 Appendix 18(a) and (b): Priorities for goal 4.3 Public and consumer involvement ... 104 Appendix 19 (a) and (b): Priorities for goal 4.4: Ethics, safety, legal and financial environment ................................................................................................................ 105 Appendix 20: Stakeholders contacted in EPSO national e-consultation. ................... 106 4 Executive Summary “Plants for the Future” Background The European Union Member States agreed at the Lisbon Summit (2000) to make the EU "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-driven economy by 2010”. EU Member States have made a commitment to increase research investment from the current level of 1.9% of GDP to 3% of GDP by 2010, of which 2/3 should be funded by the private sector. In