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A 'greener revolution' is needed in agriculture according to Bayer CropScience's new CEO Liam Condon, to increase productivity and sustainability.

"We need to recognize that we are reaching the ecological limits that our planet can bear" said the CEO in a speech at the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture in Berlin.

The forum is an international political forum focusing on central issues regarding the future of the global agri-food industry.

Confidence in the agricultural sector is 'significantly down' on the start of the year according to reports.

Some 42 per cent of farmers told the NFU that their farm businesses were in for a tougher year, up from 30 per cent in 2011.

"We must cultivate new ideas and answers to freeze our environmental footprint and farm better the land we have available."

"We need to recognize that we are reaching the ecological limits that our planet can bear. We must cultivate new ideas and answers to freeze our environmental footprint and farm better the land we have available."

Condon outlined a five-point plan to propel a 'greener revolution,' which encompasses investment in innovation, empowerment of farmers, emproved partnerships and a focus on climate-smart solutions.

Speaking on the first step to ramp up investment in innovation, he said investing into agricultural R&D was the most productive way to support agriculture long-term.

He emphasized the importance of forging closer collaborations between the various stakeholders. 

"If we want to make sustainable progress towards our goal of enhancing food security and nutrition, driving growth, and protecting the environment, it is critical that we forge closer collaborations between the private and public sectors."

Condon discussed the need to enable farmers to become 'agripreneurs', armed with the knowledge and technology needed to sustainably pilot their own farming success. 

"My favourite example of empowering farmers in a developing country is our Model Village concept in India," he revealed. 

The program – planned to be rolled out across 400 villages across the country – offers farmers a host of benefits including training and tools to boost their agricultural productivity and access to markets. 

Another way forward for a Greener Revolution is to enhance health through better nutrition, Condon said. 

"With one-third of the world’s children not growing to their full potential due to insufficient nutrition, biofortification is one important way to boost a crop’s nutrient uptake of zinc, iron and iodine," Condon said.