The European Union (EU) could contribute considerably to sustainable global food security because of its wealth of productive farmland (J. A. Foley et al. Nature 478, 337–342; 2011). Both production growth and increased sustainability therefore need to be at the heart of the Common Agricultural Policy.

As one of the largest global importers and exporters of food, the EU has significant leverage in, and responsibility for, the global food and nutrition agenda. Although the biggest impact on global food security will result from increased production in developing countries, the EU must play its part. It needs to protect and maintain its agricultural lands and increase food production.

This will mean producing more food with fewer resources, while minimizing environmental impacts at multiple spatial and temporal scales (called 'sustainable intensification'). Biotechnology will have a role in global food security, but it is unlikely to be the main solution. New approaches to managing farming systems and agricultural landscapes in an environmentally sensitive way could instead be more productive.

We therefore welcome the European Commission's proposals to increase the budget for agricultural research and innovation that is targeted at productive and ecological systems.