Researcher Pitch: 'Pesticide-free production of raw food commodities', v. Bo Melander

Pesticide-free production of raw food commodities

The conversion of human food consumption from primarily animal-based food products to more plant-based dietaries increases the need for relevant commodities to meet future market demands. Pests, diseases, and weeds pose a significant risk to crop production, causing up to 16% global losses, hindering the successful production of plant-based raw materials needed for the Plant2Food agenda. Consumers expect clean and healthy foods, which inevitably means primary plant production with great care and minimum input of synthetic chemicals. Pesticide-free production of raw plant materials for food and food processing is challenging and knowledge-intensive, particularly in less common field crops such as quinoa, lenses, beans, etc.