Europe
Biotech specialists, changemakers and leaders. These four influencers from Europe are working to create a more sustainable future.
Simon Appeltans
PhD Researcher, Precision Scoring Research Group, Ghent University
Belgian
Can you tell us about your research at Ghent University?
My PhD research focuses on site specific crop protection, specifically variable rate pesticide use, by using proximal sensing technology, at the Precision Scoring group of Ghent University. Besides that, I am spending my free time on a project I got from the competition I won at the IUPAC crop protection conference in 2019 (sponsored among others by Croplife International). That idea was initially based on creating smartphone technology to improve production and crop protection. However, we discovered that it’s not that the technology isn’t available, it’s the education of the farmers and it’s the translation of technology from the academic side to the practical side that is still a problem. There is a huge bridge that we need to build between academia and practice.
We therefore changed the course of that side-project and are now going to build a network where we can use farmers that are using technology to teach their peers how to use their technology and how to improve their crop production in a sustainable way.
How did you get your start?
I chose bioengineering because I found it to be the best mix between biology, physics, chemistry, math and informatics. It wasn’t until my third year, the end of my bachelor’s degree, that I decided to pursue agriculture.
How do your peers in Belgium perceive agriculture and careers in agriculture?
I think a lot of people may not see the agriculture sector as ‘sexy’ when compared to other sectors. But food production is absolutely wonderful! In addition to all the chemistry, biology and physics involved, you get to work with amazing new technologies like drones and robots. Not to mention job security anywhere in the world.
Many people are unaware of what goes into food production. People have no clue who grows potatoes or where bananas come from. As a scientist, I am unwilling to be so clueless about where our food grows and how people are producing our food.
What does ‘sustainable agriculture’ mean to you?
Sustainable agriculture is agriculture that keeps in mind all the principles and knowledge that we have today while striving to improve the production system and contributing to the environment.
What advancements or breakthroughs related to sustainable agriculture do you anticipate in next 25 years?
I think you have to make a distinction between richer developed countries and developing countries. In developing countries, I think the focus should be on low-tech solutions like GM crops, finding ways to deal with pests and implementing intercropping systems. Drought-resistant crops and crops that are resistant to pests will be key for developing countries. Scientists can make huge contributions to this.
In developed countries more funding will advance robot vision systems, drones, integrated networks of sensors that can monitor fields in real time as well as developments in precision agriculture.
Any words of wisdom or advice?
The key to translate academic knowledge and technology to practice, I think, is using a farmer-to-farmer perspective. That is also what I think the future will need to look like. We are going to need to focus on education and the spread of technology more than just producing new technology and pushing it into the sector, when the sector is not ready yet.
Read more about Simon Appeltan’s views on the CropLife website.
Noga Levy-Rapoport
Campaigner, UK Student Climate Network
British
Was there a defining moment in your life that made you decide to advocate on the climate crisis?
It started with the first UK climate strike in February 2019. I’d never seen anything like it—an entirely youth-led protest about a demonstrably terrifying issue that young people never get asked about, despite the scientific proof that we will be the demographic hardest hit by the impending climate crisis.
I found a megaphone and ended up yelling for those around me to follow me and march, so we could reclaim our streets and our political enfranchisement. Since leading that march that day, I became heavily involved in climate campaigning, advocating for a transitional and equitable international solution to the crisis.
What was the most memorable or biggest success you’ve had over the course of your championing?
Our most notable mobilization to date, the historic 20th of September, saw 350,000 students and adults walk out of workplaces, homes, and schools together, the largest climate demonstration in British history. After months of work and organizing, of late-night meetings and rushed homework, of skipped meals in order to write emails and draw up plans and give talks and do everything we could to galvanize people everywhere, it was truly magical to be able to stand up and lead these people through London. It was a day I genuinely don’t think I can ever forget.
What does ‘sustainable agriculture’ mean to you?
A crucial part of sustainable farming is a massive reduction in food waste through local food sharing schemes and integrating farming with the expansion of public green urban spaces.
What can farmers and the agriculture industry do to get more involved in addressing the climate crisis?
One key thing that farmers can do is to organize other farmers. Historically, farmers have played a crucial role in transforming society during times of crisis, and over time have been the vanguard of structural change, preparing adaptations for what comes next. Why should this crisis, borne out of the same social systems as crises of the past, be any different?
In what ways can advances in technology and innovation play a role in mitigating the effects of climate change?
I see the cultivation of drought-resistant crops as potentially useful, but technology without systemic equity does not ease the burden of climate disaster. For example, we could easily have loads of drought resistant crops which are primarily grown to keep feeding a highly animal-based diet in Global North countries, whilst there remains mass starvation in drought-affected countries.
What advice would you give to a young student who is interested in fighting climate change, but does not know where to start or is hesitant to join the school strike?
The first thing I would recommend is joining a local organization or a local climate strike group that you feel is best aligned with the kind of work you want to do: are you interested in championing and campaigning? Local sustainable initiatives? Introducing climate education to your local educational curriculum? Or ensuring that other young people can engage with agriculture and ecology?
Collaborate and reach out to those of us organizing on similar issues around the country; ask for help and resources; read up on what’s been done before and continue to be inspired to do more.
Remember that you should never ask permission or defer to someone else in order to make a change or do what is right, so don’t let people talk you down or out of doing what you want. Anything and everything helps.
Sophie Healy-Thow
Co-Founder, Agrikua
Irish
Was there a defining moment that spurred you to advocate on food security?
I became interested in food security when I started doing science projects at my local science competitions when I was about 14 or 15. At one of the fairs, a young person came up to me and just couldn’t grasp the concept that some people could not simply get food from the kitchen if they were hungry.
I was shocked that my generation didn’t understand the extent to which food security is a global issue. Food insecurity is not that far away from us—it’s in parts of Africa, Asia and even in small communities or urban centers in the Global North, where access to food isn’t universal.
I felt I had to do something. It I felt it wasn’t really a choice, it was a responsibility.
What does ‘sustainable agriculture’ mean to you?
Sustainable agriculture is farming for the future, but also farming for the now. It needs to be done with urgency. It could mean looking back to more sustainable practices that occurred before the Industrial Revolution, but it could also mean better ways of looking at technology for the present.
How does food security advocacy look different in developing countries than in developed countries?
In the Global North what gets people out onto streets is acknowledgement that their future is inviable without urgent change. But in developing countries, they are already seeing the effects of what could happen. Conflict, injustice, famine, war and lingering effects of colonization are things that the activists in the Global North can never truly understand. Our place as activists in the Global North is to support the activists in the Global South.
A lot of people in the Global North think that climate change, food security, water scarcity and so on are all separate issues, but actually they are all intertwined. On a governmental level these are worked upon separately. We need a shift in policymaking to ensure that these issues are worked on together.
Can you talk about what the Gender Gap in agriculture is?
The Gender Gap exists in agriculture in almost every country, but it manifests in different ways. For example, women make up 11.6% of the agricultural workforce in Ireland. In Canada it’s 27.7%. But in Kenya it is 70%.
My organization Agrikua is working to improve the gender gap in Kenya, where most of the women farmers are over the age of 50 and most of the youth see farming as an unattractive or unviable career path. We are connecting youth with female farmers in order to clear misconceptions and show that the agriculture sector is profitable, high-tech and varied in terms of careers. It’s not as limited as many young people think it is.
What role does biotechnology play in Africa?
Plant science and biotechnology need to be at frontline globally to tackle climate change, food insecurity and nutrition. But there is a distinct lack of access to such technologies in the Global South. There are so many amazing technologies, but we need to make them affordable and accessible to those who need it the most.
What so you hope to accomplish in the next 25 years in your advocacy?
While there is a long way to go, we hope that the SUN Movement 3.0 will be another huge step forward to achieve our goal of ending malnutrition in all forms by 2030.
It’s hard to measure success because the issues we are tackling are so vast. But seeing the connections we are making globally with other activists, and the international collaborations taking place is very inspiring.
Sonya Epifantseva
Campaigner, #FridaysForFuture Russia
Russian
Was there a defining moment in your life that made you decide to advocate on the climate crisis?
It was a gradual realization. Two years ago, I was scrolling through my news feed and read about the European school strikes. I didn’t know much about the subject of climate change back then, so I started learning more. When I understood that climate change is the largest problem of the century and yet no one in Russia is dealing with it, I felt so shocked and helpless.
I looked at the Fridays for Future website and saw a map of the strikes, and I saw that Russia, the biggest country in the world, was just completely blank. A year and a half later now, I am still advocating on the problems that Russia is facing regarding climate change.
What does sustainable agriculture look like in Russia?
There’s a lot of potential for sustainable agriculture in Russia, but it is not fulfilled. We have a lot of territory that is already fairly developed and suitable for farming, but the government does not want to focus on these areas. Rather than develop technologies to improve upon these farmlands and have less of an impact on the environment, it’s more profitable to cut down forests and expand into new areas for farming.
When they cut down the forests, they burn the trees as well, contributing even more to climate change. We can see the smoke from our houses here in Siberia, we notice this happening, but nothing is being done.
What efforts are being done in Russia to address climate change? What consequences could Russian farmers face if climate change is left unresolved?
There’s not a lot being done in Russia. Environmental laws don’t have much of an effect on the industries contributing to climate change. There will be a lot of effects for agriculture in Russia, which has a lot of different climate zones. Permafrost is melting in the north, while erratic weather is making growing crops more difficult in the south. If left unchecked, it will get a lot messier here.
How active or involved are the youth are in Russia when it comes to advocacy for climate change? What is the perception of climate advocacy in Russia?
A lot more youth are getting involved now. For example, we went from having no strikes to having 20 cities with strikes. We have digital strikes now with the coronavirus pandemic, and it makes it easier for youth to join in—especially considering how scary it can be for protesters out on the streets.
Russia has laws against minors protesting, and it is very difficult to get permits for mass demonstrations. The only option is striking in single-person pickets. And even then, a couple weeks ago my friend and I were arrested for picketing. Even though it’s in our constitution to picket, no one cares.
How do you see climate advocacy evolving in the next 25 years in Russia?
Too many people here still consider climate change a conspiracy theory. And when Greta Thunberg made the news, most of the conversations were around her as a person, rather than the cause she was championing.
I hope that more young people will amplify the conversation, because their future depends on action today. But without action today, there will be no action for the future.
What advice would you give to a young student who is interested in fighting climate change, but does not know where to start or is hesitant to join the school strike?
When I went out on my first strike, I was afraid, because I thought everyone would think I am crazy. But leading up to it, I told my friends about it and asked for their support. With the support of the people you love, it will be easier for you to advocate on this crisis.
Everyone who wants to advocate for the climate should know that it’s not weird or strange to do so. You are taking responsibility for your own future, and showing you are not just a kid—you have your own thoughts and way of understanding the world.
Don’t be afraid to join, because in my experience all the people in the movement are the coolest people you’ll meet. You’ll get a lot of friends!
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