EIT Food’s Post

🌍 The future of Europe’s agrifood system requires bold, collaborative action to create a fair and resilient food system. The European Commission’s recent report highlights the urgent need for systemic reform, including an overhaul of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and a sustainable food systems framework. In response, EIT Food has issued an open letter urging the Commission to take decisive steps and leverage EIT Food’s innovation-driven initiatives. Read the full letter from EIT Food CEO Richard Zaltzman in the link below #RegenerateToAccelerate

It’s time to take action! The European Union should develop an Action Plan for Plant-based Foods to strengthen agri-food chains in Europe, from farmers to consumers, according to an European Commission report delivered to President Ursula von der Leyen last week. 🇪🇺🌱 We are proud to have contributed to this process and excited to see our call for rebalancing agri-food systems toward more plant-based options reflected in the recommendations. The recommendation is the result of the EU Commission’s “Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture”, a high-level political forum. It shows that key stakeholders from the whole agri-food chain have recognised the need to advance towards more sustainable food systems. The proposal for an EU Action Plan for Plant-Based Foods comes at a critical time. As mentioned in the report, with six of the nine planetary boundaries exceeded and slow progress on environmental goals, along with geopolitical pressures on agriculture, bold policies are urgently needed to tackle these challenges. It's now essential that these recommendations are translated into concrete policy actions. As the need for action and the overall costs of inaction increase. We call on the European Commission, the European Parliament, member states, and all stakeholders to turn these recommendations into action. 📑 ❗ Read ProVeg's full press release here ➡️ https://hubs.ly/Q02P5W5J0 #ProVeg #FoodSystemsTransformation #PlantBasedFoods #EU

“The incoming Commission will need to navigate the delicate task of ensuring the agri-food sector undergoes its sustainable transition, while overcoming polarization and gaining political support.” Read our full analysis on what is to come for #AgriFood sector in the upcoming legislative term. 

👉🏼After seven months of intense negotiations, an important advisory group of the #EU has reached a groundbreaking consensus on the future of its agricultural system. The Strategic Dialogue, initiated by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, brought together 29 diverse stakeholders, including farmers' unions, environmental NGOs, industry representatives, and academics, to address growing polarization in the sector. More on the report presented today: 📃 https://bit.ly/3MzlFge The consensus report marks a significant shift in EU #agriculture, focusing on sustainability, resilience, and equity. Key recommendations from the final report include moving away from land-based subsidies, increasing support for small farms, and incentivizing sustainable practices. 👨🌾🚜🌿The dialogue underscores the need for a complete overhaul of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to better protect farmers and promote healthy, sustainable diets across the continent (less meat and more plant-based proteins) 🫛🥗 As von der Leyen emphasized, the EU must do more to support its farmers and ensure a more resilient, competitive, and sustainable agri-food system. This consensus represents a crucial step towards achieving that vision. 📰 Read more @Euronews https://bit.ly/4g4xrwy #sustainableagriculture #nature #foodsystems #strategicdialogue #EU Systems Transformation Hub WRI Food

As a future actor in the agri-food chain, here is our take on the final report of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture, released last week: 🔬The role of technology and #innovation to support the much-needed sustainable transition is mentioned as a core, guiding principle. New food technologies are not forgotten with a call for “streamlining regulatory procedures for the access to market”, which we👏. 🤝 Prof Peter Strohschneider and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen insisted on the constructive approach and spirit adopted by all participants of this Strategic Dialogue, who worked hard with common objectives in mind despite their divergences. We remember President von der Leyen's call for “more dialogue and less polarisation” in the agri-food debate in her 2023 #SOTEU. We, of course, cannot agree more and find the outcome of this Strategic Dialogue promising in that sense. 📝 We also noted President Ursula von der Leyen’s enthusiasm about the recommendation to establish “a European Board on Agri-food (EBAF)”, a new platform gathering actors from across the agri-food sector, civil society and the world of science to “accompany the rollout of the development of this report”. This new acronym is already part of our vocabulary and we just have one question: where should we sign? Check out the full report 👉 https://lnkd.in/eCmnp9JU #CellAgriEU

We have reached a crossroad for the future of European agriculture.    This was one of the main messages of FARM EUROPE’s Global Food Forum, with the topics of financial #sustainability and #sovereignty being central throughout the discussions of the last two days.   The event offered a lot of food for thought, bringing the perspectives of European political leaders, key figures from European institutions, business leaders, and members of civil society. 💬   What I found particularly interesting were the findings of Farm Europe’s sustainability radar. As highlighted during the presentation, we cannot jump into a reflection of our future without looking at the past. Which is precisely what their radar does, reflecting 20 years of policy choices to provide a ‘health check’ of EU food systems. It explores key parameters of social, environmental and economic sustainability in different Member States to paint an overall picture of the state of European and national food systems. 🚜🌾🐄   So, what are some of the key figures from the last 20 years that their radar identified? ✅ Agricultural emissions dropped by 8%  ✅ Since 2011 the use of the most dangerous pesticides dropped by -43% 🚩 Farmers’ income per hectares dropped by -12%  🚩 The EU lost more than 37% of its farmers Europe has maintained its food sovereignty, but is not overcoming the challenge of bioeconomy development, with its dependance on imported animal feed and fertilisers. In this sense, since 1990, Europe lost 10 million hectares of agricultural land, but the carbon impacts of imports, mainly for animal feeds, represents the equivalent of 11 million hectares of imported deforestation.    As showcased during the event, solutions for a sustainable agriculture and food sector in Europe do exist, and innovation plays a key part here. But as discussed by many, the challenges faced by the sector require win-win solutions for all actors in the food chain. This means working together, engaging with practitioners, securing funding and ensuring profitability. 💡 Farm Europe's sustainability radar: https://lnkd.in/edZ_ywgm Visual © Farm Europe #foodsystems #agriculture

🌍 Collaboration is key to enacting change After months of intensive discussions in the Strategic Dialogue on the future of agriculture, initiated by the EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a shared vision has emerged, laying the groundwork for the future of Europe’s agri-food systems. The message is clear: Change must happen now. From ensuring fair rewards across the value chain to fostering an environment where all stakeholders—from farmers to consumers—are empowered, the path forward demands collective action. We strongly encourage the European Commission, Parliament and member states to use these recommendations as a basis for future policymaking, including the new European strategy for #agriculture and the food sector, and to support the continued spirit of open dialogue that has prevailed over the past months To learn more read our press release: https://lnkd.in/ggHkK7Vi The full report is available here: https://lnkd.in/geA6GFYn Now, it’s time to build on this achievement to deliver lasting change. #Sustainability #Collaboration #SustainableFoodSystems #EuroCommerce #agrifood #EUagriculture #Strategicdialogue

What is the state of play of the "Farm to Fork" strategy? The European Parliament Research Service (EPRS) provides a quick overview on the elements of the strategy. #food

The Agri-Food Chain Coalition (AFCC) has responded to the European Commission’s Draghi Report, stressing the importance of investing in sustainable innovation with outcome-based policies. The AFCC notes agriculture’s crucial role in health, the economy, and EU sovereignty, yet it was overlooked in the report. Let's advocate for agriculture's rightful place! #AgriFood #Sustainability #EUPolicy https://hubs.li/Q02Qzjxm0

Here is a handbook that gives ideas how to transform the food system from the bottom up- in different European languages and free to download!