October 20,  2020

EU aims for sustainable food system

The EU's European Council has adopted a set of conclusions on its farm to fork strategy and endorsed the goal of developing a sustainable European food system, from production to consumption.

The conclusions entail a two-fold declaration from member states of the European Union:

- Ensuring sufficient and affordable food while contributing to the EU's climate neutrality by 2050;

- Ensuring a fair income and strong support for primary producers.

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

Through the conclusions, the council calls for:

- Scientifically-sound ex-ante impact assessments to be the basis of EU legislative proposals under the farm to fork strategy;

- Continue promoting the prudent and responsible use of pesticides, antimicrobials and fertilisers in order to produce food sustainably and support the environment at the same time;

- A level playing field on competitive agri-food markets and compatibility with WTO rules.

- European Council