European Commission publishes Farm to Fork strategy

The European Commission has published its new Farm to Fork strategy, which aims to "enable the transition to a sustainable EU food system that safeguards food security and ensures access to healthy diets sourced from a healthy planet" as part of the European Green Deal.  The strategy’s conclusions suggest that ‘The transition to sustainable food systems requires a collective approach involving public authorities at all levels of governance (including cities, rural and coastal communities), private-sector actors across the food value chain, non-governmental organisations, social partners, academics and citizens.’

Summary points from the report include commitments towards:

• €10 billion toward research and innovation in plant-based and alternative proteins
• consumer support to opt for more sustainable meat
• 50% reduction of pesticides
• 20% reduction of fertilisers
• 50% reduction in antimicrobials for farmed animals 
• 25% agricultural land for organic farming 

Jan Plagge, IFOAM EU President, stated: “Proposing an EU target for organic land is a landmark decision that puts organic farming at the core of a transition of European agriculture towards agroecology. Organic farming is a successful economic model for farmers with proven benefits for the environment. Making it a cornerstone of a future EU sustainable food system is the right decision.” He continued: “We need to transform EU agriculture if we want to address the climate and biodiversity crisis and make our farming systems more resilient. The F2F strategy provides EU citizens with a clear vision for the future of our food system.”

Read the full report here.