Ingemar Pongratz
Ingemar Pongratz är forskare med lång erfarenhet av offentlig finansiering och EU finansiering. Ingemar Pongratz har erfarenhet av att planera, adminstrera rapportera och kommunicera EU projekt och EU finansierad forskning. Ingemar Pongratz har framgångsrikt skrivit EU projekt ansökningar som har sammanlagt resulterat i över 500 Millioner SEK för organizationer och företag som har utnyttjat Pongratz Consulting tjänster.
Ingemar Pongratz tog emot Communication Star priset 2011, för bästa EU-projekt kommunikation insats. Ingemar Pongratz har även skrivit Pathfinder ansölan som valdes ut som ett av finalisterna till Descartes Priset för bästa EU forsknings sammarbets projekt. Ingemar Pongratz har organiserat flera möten, workshops och EU Parlamentsdebatter inom ämnet toxikology och har sammarbetat med organizationer som WWF och OECD.
Ingemar Pongratz är även aktiv som förskare och arbetar med att lansera Fenix Scientific som skall arbeta med nya behandlings metoder för autoimmuna sjukdomar.
Ingemar Pongratz har publicerat över 40 vetenskapliga artiklar och har handlett 14 doktorander och Post-docs under sin tid som forskare, då han var verskam inom molekylär biology, molekylär toxikologi och molekylär nutrition.
Ingemar Pongratz is a consultant with a long proven record of EU project development, project coordination and EU Communication.
Previous project experience include FP6 instruments such as STREPS, Integrated projects and Network of Excellence, FP7 collaborative projects and Marie Curie networks and programmes. Ingemar Pongratz has successfully secured over 50 Million EUR (500 Million SEK) to Pongratz Consulting clients and organizations in several EU funded activities.
All projects included consortia development, proposal administration and planning, negotiation, coordination, planning of communication activities within the consortium and with project stakeholders.
In addition Ingemar Pongratz has long track record in EU project Communication and has collaborated with several organizations to communicate EU funded research results to the general public and consumers. Ingemar Pongratz has also organized several workshops, seminars and EU Parliament debates. For this wok Ingemar Pongratz received the Communication Star Prize from the European Commission in 2011. Ingemar Pongratz has also a strong background in research has a degree in Biochemistry and a PhD in Molecular Biology and has provided seminal research findings in the area of molecular toxicology and molecular nutrition. Ingemar Pongratz has 40+ scientific papers in peer reviewed scientific journals, several book chapters and is Editor of one book, which highlights the effects of Chemical Contaminants in Food.
Ingemar Pongratz has successfully supervised several postdoctoral researchers and several Ph D students, all the way to Thesis defence.
Climate Change and the EU agricultural sector
Climate Change and the EU agricultural sector
By Ingemar Pongratz
Tyreso by Ingemar Pongratz
The agricultural sector represents a major source of economic activity in Europe and remains a key economic driver in the European economy. A study performed by the European Environmental Agency in 2015 shows that agriculture remains a major contributor towards changes in climate. In 2012, the agricultural sector represented 10% of the total European production of greenhouse gases (GHG).
This is a significant decline from 24% which was the contribution between 1990 and 2012. The decline is explained by more efficient use of fertilizers, reduced meat production and better manure management in Europe
However, the agricultural contribution towards climate change worldwide is increasing and is expected to continue to increase due to increasing food and feed demand.
In 2021, the European Commission presented the New EU strategy in Adaptation to Climate Change. The document highlights the pressing need to develop new strategies to produce food and to reduce GHG emission substantially. There is major concern in Europe regarding the effects of climate change, such as droughts, water scarcity, environmental degradation etc.
The EU has committed itself to become a climate neutral continent by 2050 and has present a large set of actions to achieve this goal. The EU highlights that all industrial sectors need to contribute towards the overall EU goals and that the agricultural sector is not an exception.
The EU proposes a number of activities to reduce GHG production and many (most) of these activities affect the agricultural sector. For example, the European Commission highlights the need to:
Water will become scarcer in the future and the agricultural sector need to develop new strategies to produce food and feed with less water. The European Commission highlights the potential of vertical farming and use of droughts resistance crops to save water in the future.
The EU Adaptation strategy highlights the need to protect agricultural soil in the future through better and smarter use of fertilizers.
Carbon farming is regarded as a major possibility to capture GHG that otherwise would be released into the atmosphere. This capture could be achieved by increasing the European forestry sector or by planting crops that capture CO2.
The European Commission plans to develop a number of mechanisms to reduce the impact on climate change from agriculture. Here, the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Scheme will be a key provider of knowledge and tools to achieve the European impact on climate change.
Interestingly, the initial reaction from the European Agricultural sectors is rather positive. Climate Change and the EU agricultural sector are acknowledged by the industry. However, the sector claims that major changes in legislation are required to achieve the European Commission goals to reduce GHG emissions. The sector claims that the European Commission and the European member states need to revise their ban on GMO and allow certain practices that are currently banned in Europe.
European farmer associations like a COPA-COGECA argue that new breeding technologies are required to produce crops that are better suited to address the problem associated with GHG. Climate Change and the EU agricultural sector are acknowledged by ind
The legislative path to address the ban on GMO is rather long so alternative solutions need to be addressed. For example, more efficient fertilizers could be used that increase yield and reduce water in agriculture while at the same time protect and retain soil integrity.
In this area European researchers and SME have developed interesting alternatives to GMOs that should also be explored.
Ingemar Pongratz is a Life Science entrepreneur who established Fenix Scientific AB / Pongratz Consulting and Letavis AB. Through Letavis AB we have developed new products to support agriculture to increase their yield while reducing negative impact on the climate.
If you are interested to know more about our products, please contact us
View of Alta lake by Ingemar Pongratz