Farm to fork: European Council adopts strategy to develop sustainable food systems

20 Oct 2020 --- The European Council has adopted a set of conclusions on the farm to fork strategy, endorsing plans to develop a sustainable, climate-friendly food system across Europe, from production to consumption.

The Council calls for scientifically-sound impact assessments to be based on EU legislative proposals under the farm to fork strategy. It also calls to continue promoting the responsible use of pesticides, antimicrobials and fertilizers to produce food sustainably and support the environment at the same time.

Moreover, ministers call for a level playing field on competitive agri-food markets and compatibility with the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.

Affordable food and environmental protection
The message from Member States is to ensure affordable food while contributing to EU climate neutrality by 2050 and providing a fair income and strong support for primary producers.

“The unanimous decision reached is a crucial signal and a clear commitment to a sustainable and economically viable agri-food sector. For the first time, the entire food system is taken into account as a whole – from producers to consumers. It is a solid starting point, and we are looking forward to working altogether the coming years towards a truly sustainable and fair food system in Europe and beyond,” says 

Julia Klöckner, Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture of Germany.

Member states also recognize that European food is already a global standard for safety, nutritional value and high quality, and how significant it is to promote food systems’ sustainability worldwide. 

This would result in more ambitious commitments from non-EU countries in environmental protection, pesticides and antimicrobials, animal health and more.

Farm to fork strategy 
The European Commission presented the farm to fork strategy in May, highlighting that it is an integral part of the European Green Deal setting the goal of a “fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food system”. This new food system’s transition will be underpinned by the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform.

The Council stresses that the current EU food system’s environmental and climate footprint should be reduced and that planetary boundaries should be considered. 

Last month, world leaders recognized the potential of plant-based diets as a cornerstone of resilient and sustainable food systems. In a move to evolve global “farm to fork” eco-efficiency, the UN Environment Programme and other climate actors are now pushing forward the agenda of meat-free diets while further outlining that reductions of food loss and waste could reduce emissions by up to 4.5 Gt of CO2 emissions per year.

Edited by Gaynor Selby