“Changing the status quo”: EU advisory board to tackle polarization in European agri-food sector

With the European Commission (EC) officially establishing the European Board on Agriculture and Food (EBAF), member organization Eurogroup for Animals believes that despite the historically conflicting interests within the EU agri-food policy landscape, “a collaborative spirit is possible and consensus can be found.”

The EBAF is designed to act as a consultancy operation through which the EC will gather policy advice from F&B stakeholders.

The formation of the board and appointment of 30 member organizations from the farming community, other actors in the food supply chain, and civil society groups fulfills a key recommendation of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of Agriculture.

“While changing the status quo of the agricultural model is not straightforward, it is possible, and various case studies show that. The EBAF acts as an advisory board that brings together stakeholders in the agri-food chain. It acts as a sounding board for the EC that helps to depolarize this topic,” Inês Grenho Ajuda, Farm Animals program leader at Eurogroup for Animals, tells Food Ingredients First.

Addressing polarization

Polarization in the EU agri-food sector manifests in the growing number of farmer protests across the EU, the debate on deregulating non-genomic techniques, and the deep divide between the meat and animal-free protein sectors with livestock-heavy countries promoting the industry’s interests, to name a few.

Navigating potential tensions with the EBAF is crucial to ensure that priorities are not diminished.

“Ultimately, higher animal welfare is a win-win situation: for animals, farmers, and consumers,” says Ajuda.

“It is also an urgent requirement to address the triple planetary crisis. With the right incentives and financial support, farmers can transition to sustainable models that are profitable and competitive while also ethical and sustainable.”

“Harmonized animal welfare legislation would not only better protect animals, but allow for a level playing field for European farmers while ensuring that consumers have access to food that is good for them and the planet and the EU stays competitive in the global market.”

The EBAF is designed to act as a consultancy operation through which the EC will gather policy advice from F&B stakeholders.Eurogroup for Animals also called on the EC earlier this week to provide a concrete timeline for publishing the remaining regulatory proposals on kept animals, slaughter, and labeling.

Balancing economic and non-economic interests

At the time of the announcement of the EBAF in December 2024, Slow Food’s secretary general, Marta Messa, emphasized a balanced representation between economic and non-economic interests, with a 50/50 split.

“It is not exactly a 50/50 split, but the members around the table represent many stakeholders. Most if not all of the members having been involved in the Strategic Dialogue, I trust that we will continue to build on the connections developed between stakeholders and on the work done together in 2024,” she tells Food Ingredients First.

While Messa finds the composition to feature a diversity of stakeholders, Ajuda says she would have liked more visibility for organizations like Eurogroup for Animals within EBAF.

“With animal farming accounting for nearly 40% of the EU’s agricultural output, we would have liked to see a bigger representation of organizations focused on the welfare of these animals, as we are the only organization specialized in this field. Nevertheless, we look forward to collaborating with all board stakeholders,” she notes.

Will recommendations carry weight?

Messa previously raised concerns about the EBAF members’ inability to contribute to developing the Vision for Agriculture and Food due to unfavorable timelines. She now says that it will become clear at the first meeting on February 4 what the “degree of contribution” from EBAF is.

“Yesterday, commissioner Christophe Hansen informed the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee that the Vision will be a short document setting broad policy directions. There is not much time until February 19, when the Vision will be published, but I trust that EBAF will be able to provide the commissioner with relevant advice during its first meeting.”

Meanwhile, Ajuda mentions that the Strategic Dialogue demonstrated a consensus on the importance of modernized animal welfare legislation to transition toward more resilient and sustainable agricultural systems and the need for this legislation to be published by 2026.

The commissioner also supported this, she underscores.

On whether the committee’s recommendations will carry real weight in shaping EU agri-food policies, she notes that while there are “no concrete assurances [from the EC], it represents the dialogue with stakeholders that can pave the path to concrete actions and policies.”

“The EBAF is also likely to discuss legislative and non-legislative files like the Common Agricultural Policy and livestock and diet strategies, all of which directly impact animal welfare, on which we can contribute,” she concludes.