Agriculture Inquiry: Lords to hear from French National Institute for Agricultural Research and BBSRC

The House of Lords EU Sub-Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment will hear from the French National Institute for Agricultural Research and the UK Biotechnology and the Biological Sciences Research Council as part of its inquiry into Innovation in EU Agriculture on Wednesday 2 February.

The aim of the inquiry is to identify how innovation in EU agriculture can be best supported, particularly at a time when factors such as population increase and climate change have greatly affected the scale of the challenges facing agriculture in the UK, Europe and globally.

11.00am:       Madame Marion Guillou, President, Institut National de Recherche Agronomique (INRA)

Professor Douglas Kell, Chief Executive, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)

The witnesses will be asked questions in relation to:

• the extent of innovation in agriculture today, and the appropriate role for agricultural bio-technology
• obstacles to innovation
• challenges likely to drive innovation in the future
• key players and structures needed to support innovation in EU agriculture

• assistance from the Common Agricultural Policy and EU Research Programme

The evidence session will take place on Wednesday 2 February at 11.00am in Committee Room 3a.

• The evidence session is open to the public. Those wishing to attend should access Parliament via the Cromwell Green Entrance where they will be directed towards the Committee Corridor. Please arrive in time to allow for security screening.
• The evidence session will be broadcast live at www.parliamentlive.tv.
• For more information on the House of Lords EU Sub-Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment please visit: www.parliament.uk/hleud.
• For more information about the organisations giving evidence, please visit: INRA http://www.international.inra.fr/ and BBSRC http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/.