Consumption of our natural resources in the EU is growing unabatedly and at an unsustainable rate. Despite technological improvements in resource use efficiency for many key technologies, in absolute terms, our rate of using up these resources is steadily increasing, thereby undermining the ability of the ecosystem to sustain itself and regenerate, and ultimately also affecting our abilities of survival. Considering also that the human global population is on the rise, along with an increase in the number of people rising to middle-class standards of living, it becomes evident that the current trends cannot continue: not from an environmental point of view, not from a human-needs point of view, and not from an ethical point of view.

For many years already the EU has identified the need to curb its unsustainable use of resources. This year, the year 2011, the European Commission came forward with a communication targeting resource use efficiency as one of its flagship initiatives to meet the Europe 2020 strategy of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. By means of streamlined collective efforts in all areas from carbon emissions to biodiversity protection and water usage, the EU plans to decouple economic performance from resource use.

Also agriculture has its role to play in this endeavour. How can a growing population be fed without burdening the environment? The Common Agricultural Policy has for many years attempted to safeguard food security in Europe above all else. While it was highly successful in this mission, the achievement came at a heavy environmental cost: depleted, eroded soils, eutrophied water bodies, decreased biodiversity, poisoned plants, vulnerable ecosystems, etc. These effects, along with their concomitant side-effects, are now becoming increasingly visible and devastating.

Environmentally-friendly farming practices, a cyclical approach to nutrient use, minimal energy use, biodiversity enhancement, taking into account environmental cycles and ecosystem needs, and innovative eco-efficient and extensive farming practices are becoming the order of the day. By exploring the EU resource efficiency strategy more deeply, engaging experts from the fields of nutrient management, understanding the role of innovation and research, and addressing behavioural consumption patterns, this conference will shed light on the benefits organic farming has to offer and illuminate possible avenues in which food security can go hand in hand with resource efficiency.