Sustainable food systems
Commission wants ‘realistic targets’ for pesticide, fertilisers cuts- Kyriakides
Speaking before the parliamentary committee on the Environment (ENVI), Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides confirmed that the new EU food policy, the Farm 2 Fork Strategy (F2F), will feature legislative actions too and that there will be specific targets for the reduction of both risk and use of pesticides.
EFSA chief: Assessing fast-changing agrifood innovation is key challenge [Part I]
Being equipped with the right methods to assess industry’s rapidly changing innovation will be a key challenge for the European Food Safety Agency, (EFSA), Bernhard Url, the EU food watchdog's chief, told EURACTIV.com in a wide-ranging interview.
NFU Chief: New immigration policy could ‘severely impact UK farming sector’
The UK government has come under fire from farmers and industry groups for failing to adequately consider the impact of its proposed new immigration policy on the UK agricultural sector.
Europe aims to make its food a global green standard, despite trade concerns
Ahead of a much-anticipated ‘Farm to Fork’ strategy to accompany the EU Green Deal, some EU policymakers say Europe’s food should be protected from American pressure.
Sustainable Food Systems: Does the EU ‘Farm to Fork’ strategy have all the answers?
As the food sector strives to move towards more sustainable food systems and implementing the United Nations SDGs, it faces growing challenges such as climate change, resource depletion, and malnutrition, all affecting the sector and society alike.
Malaysia relies on sustainable palm oil to keep entry into European market
Malaysia is to send a delegation to Europe by the end of February to present its newly adopted measures to make palm oil production sustainable, in a move that aims to circumvent a potential European Union ban on palm oil by 2030.
Renew Europe vows to break ‘taboos’ in EU agriculture
The centrist Renew Europe group in the European Parliament aims to “break taboos” in the agricultural sector, according to one of its Czech deputies, Martin Hlaváček.
Commission bemused by consumer information conundrum
The European Commission has started sketching the new EU-wide food labelling scheme, expected to be proposed in the context of the new Farm to Fork Strategy (F2F), but the debate over what kind of information to provide to consumers has just started.
Sinkevicius: EU aims to ensure viable food packaging recycling by 2030
The Circular Economy Action Plan and the Farm to Fork strategy (F2F) have the same overarching objective of reducing unsustainable resource use by promoting sustainable production and consumption and reducing waste generation, Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius told EURACTIV.
Industry’s pathway to more sustainable food systems
As the largest manufacturing sector in the EU, the food and drink industry will be a key stakeholder in the European Green Deal discussions, especially when it comes to the Farm to Fork Strategy. Hubert Weber, president of FoodDrinkEurope, outlines the food and drink sector’s route to more sustainable food systems.
MEP: Green Deal should ensure EU food sector’s competitiveness
With the new European Green Deal, all actors across the food chain will need to adjust to new EU standards. But policymakers also have to make sure EU industry is protected against unfair competition, MEP Maria Spyraki told EURACTIV.com.
French MEP calls for ‘realism’ in Farm to Fork strategy
The plant protection part of the upcoming Farm to Fork strategy should take a realistic and science-based approach that allows farmers to “explore all possible solutions”, French conservative MEP Anne Sander told EURACTIV.
EU farmers tread carefully on Green Deal, as balance with CAP is not easy stuff
Policymakers are being called to take up the challenge of finding a place for bloc’s farm aid provided under the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in the ambitious new environmental flagship policy of the European Commission.
Sustainable food systems in the Farm to Fork strategy
Embedding the concept of sustainability in the way we produce and consume our foodstuff represents a challenge for the food systems as we know them today. But it also offers opportunities for growth, once it becomes clear how to lead the transition.
New UK Agriculture Bill to move away from ‘inefficient and overly bureaucratic’ CAP system
The UK Government revealed a new version of their post-Brexit agriculture legislation Thursday (16 January) as part of a radical shift to move subsidies away from the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) system of direct payments, which correlates payments with the total amount of land farmed.
New UK farming bill guarantees subsidies for 2020
The UK government has introduced new legislation which ensures that farming subsidies will continue to be paid to UK farmers for 2020, during the transition period that will follow the country's departure from the EU on 31 January.
Welfare of rabbits farmed in Europe not up to scratch, says EFSA
The welfare of adult rabbits kept in conventional cage systems is worse than that of those housed in other systems used in the EU, EFSA has concluded in an extensive study which investigated rabbit welfare in the EU.
UK Environment secretary: Brexit is opportunity for UK to ‘shake off shadow of CAP’
After Brexit, the UK must “shake off the shadow of the CAP” and instead begin a transition in 2021 towards “radical” new policies that work for planet, people and the farming sector, Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers has said.
Future of France’s organic products may lie in hands of large supermarkets
If the production of organic products continues to grow every year in France, mass distribution will supply even more of these products by 2022, according to an analysis note from the Xerfi Precepta Institute. But could such a development prove to be risky? EURACTIV's partner Le Journal de l'environnement reports.
Collaborative initiative aims to improve sustainability of EU dairy farming
Eight agricultural sector leaders have announced Farming for Generations, a global collaboration to support dairy farmers to adopt regenerative agricultural practices that preserve and renew our planet’s resources, respect animal welfare and ensure the long-term economic viability of farms for the next generation.
EU’s new agriculture Commissioner vows to promote organic farming
The EU Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, highlighted the promotion of organic farming as a key aim for the new European Commission in his inaugural speech yesterday (10 December).
With a ‘Farm to Fork’ Strategy on the cards, is the EU finally listening to its citizens?
The Farm to Fork strategy will reveal whether the new Commission is ready to overhaul some of the EU’s most unsustainable policies and the vested interests behind them but leaked drafts suggest that it will not be truly systemic and...
Austria on course to become first EU country to ban glyphosate
Austria is set to be the first EU country to ban glyphosate, having completed the EU’s single market notification procedure on Friday.
EU comes to olive producers’ rescue, Spaniards call for more
The exceptional private storage aid proposed by the European Commission won't be enough to fix the "messed" olive oil market, according to Spanish producers who have called for new measures to save the iconic Mediterranean fat.Supporter
FoodDrinkEurope is the organisation of Europe’s food and drink industry. The EU food and drink industry employs 4.72 million people, with a turnover of €1.2 trillion, and €236 billion in value-added. As Europe’s largest manufacturer, we are committed to ensuring a healthy and sustainable future for all.
#SustainableFoodEU
As Europe's largest manufacturer, we are determined more than ever to help address global challenges by moving towards more sustainable food systems and implementing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Building on our efforts and achievements to date, we will work collectively to ensure:
- A greener planet
- Healthier living
- A thriving economy
Read more about our pathway towards more sustainable food systems here.
Industry working with farmers
The food and drink industry builds long-term partnerships with Europe’s farmers to secure a local agricultural supply, creates value and develops market opportunities for agricultural products and connects farmers and consumers in the food chain.
Find out more in our latest report.
"Small Scale, Big Impact": Europe"s food and drink SMEs
Out of 294,000 food and drink companies in Europe, 99% are SMEs, representing €531 billion in turnover (almost half of the entire industry). They are present in every region and stand for both tradition and innovation in our industry. They are also at the heart of the Single Market. They may be small in scale, but they are big in impact. They may be small in scale, but they are big in impact.
They may be small in scale, but they are big in impact.