A Farm to Fork Strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system

Summary:

Communication published by the European Commission on 20 May 2020, setting out a comprehensive strategy aimed at transforming food systems in the European Union (EU) into global standards for competitive sustainability, the protection of human and planetary health, as well as the livelihoods of all actors in the food value chain.

Further information:

The Farm to Fork (F2F) Strategy aims to enable the transition to a sustainable EU food system that safeguards food security and ensures access to healthy diets sourced from a healthy planet. It also aims to reduce the environmental and climate footprint of the EU food system and strengthen its resilience, protecting citizens' health and ensuring the livelihoods of economic operators.

This Strategy sets a number of targets, which include:

• Reduction by 50% of the use and risk of chemical pesticides and the use of more hazardous pesticides by 50% by 2030;
• Reduction of nutrient losses by at least 50% while ensuring there is no deterioration in soil fertility (thus reducing the use of fertilisers by at least 20% by 2030);
• Reduction by 50% of the sales of antimicrobials for farmed animals and in aquaculture by 2030;
• Reaching 25% of agricultural land under organic farming by 2030.

It also proposes ambitious measures to ensure that the healthy option is the easiest for EU citizens, including improved labelling to better meet consumers' information needs on healthy, sustainable foods. Farmers, fishers and aquaculture producers are to be supported by the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) to take up sustainable practices.

The Strategy is closely linked with EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 (launched on the same day) and the overall European Green Deal, of which it is a core part.

The Council of the European Union adopted a set of conclusions concerning this strategy on 19 October 2020.

Official

General Secretariat of the Council: Policies: From farm to fork: making Europe's food healthier and more sustainable https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/from-farm-to-fork/

European Commission: Public Consultations: Sustainable food – ‘farm to fork’ strategy https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12183-Sustainable-food-%E2%80%98farm-to-fork%E2%80%99-strategy_en

European Parliament: Legislative Observatory: Procedure File for Initiative on A Farm to Fork Strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food system (2020/2260(INI)) https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?reference=2020/2260(INI)

European Parliament: Legislative Train Schedule: Farm to Fork Strategy on Sustainable Food https://www.europarl.europa.eu/legislative-train/theme-a-european-green-deal/file-farm-to-fork-strategy/04-2021

European Commission: Press Release, 20/05/2020: Reinforcing Europe's resilience: halting biodiversity loss and building a healthy and sustainable food system https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_884

European Commission: Questions and Answers: Farm to Fork Strategy - building a healthy and fully sustainable food system (20 May 2020) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_20_885

European Commission: Opening Remarks by Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans at the Press Conference on the Biodiversity Strategy and the Farm to Fork Strategy (20 May 2020) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/speech_20_923

European Commission: Remarks delivered by Commissioner Kyriakides at the Press Conference on the adoption of the Biodiversity Strategy and the Farm to Fork Strategy (20 May 2020) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/speech_20_920

European Commission: Remarks delivered by Commissioner Sinkevičius at the Press Conference on the adoption of the Biodiversity Strategy and the Farm to Fork Strategy (20 May 2020) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/speech_20_924

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 19/10/2020: Council prioritises actions for sustainable food systems: conclusions on the farm to fork strategy https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2020/10/19/council-prioritises-actions-for-sustainable-food-systems-conclusions-on-the-farm-to-fork-strategy/

General Secretariat of the Council: Council Conclusions on the Farm to Fork Strategy (19 October 2020) https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-12099-2020-INIT/en/pdf

German Federal Government: News, 20/10/2020: Farm to Fork Strategy finalised https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-en/news/eu-agriculture-council-1803610

EFTA: News, 04/03/2021: EEA EFTA Comment on the Farm to Fork Strategy https://www.efta.int/EEA/news/EEA-EFTA-Comment-Farm-Fork-Strategy-522691

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News

EurActiv, 02/03/2020: LEAK: EU’s Farm to Fork strategy will be based on five key targets https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/leak-eus-farm-to-fork-strategy-will-be-based-on-five-key-targets/

Politico, 20/05/2020: Brussels puts halving of pesticides at heart of new food plans https://www.politico.eu/article/brussels-puts-halving-of-pesticides-at-heart-of-new-farm-to-fork-biodiversity-food-plans/

Bloomberg, 20/05/2020: Greener Farms and Healthier Food Key to EU’s Climate Plan https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-20/greener-farms-and-healthier-food-key-to-europe-s-climate-plan

EurActiv 20/05/2020: New food policy to triple amount of agricultural land farmed organically by 2030 https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/new-food-policy-to-triple-amount-of-agricultural-land-farmed-organically-by-2030/

EUObserver, 20/05/2020: EU wants to halve use of pesticides by 2030 https://euobserver.com/green-deal/148434

EurActiv, 20/05/2020: Commission upholds highly ambitious targets to transform EU food system https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/commission-upholds-highly-ambitious-targets-to-transform-eu-food-system/

EurActiv, 26/04/2021: Snubbed European Parliament enters final laps of Farm to Fork race https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/snubbed-european-parliament-enters-final-laps-of-farm-to-fork-race/

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Commentary and Analysis

Euronews: Programs: Farm to Fork https://www.euronews.com/programs/farm-to-fork

EurActiv: Special Reports, 28/01/2020: Sustainable food systems in the Farm to Fork strategy https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/special_report/sustainable-food-systems-in-the-farm-to-fork-strategy/

EEB: Position, 11/02/2020: Position paper on the EU “Farm to Fork” strategy – 2020 https://eeb.org/library/position-paper-on-the-eu-farm-to-fork-strategy-2020/

IFPRI: Policy Seminar, 18/02/2020: European Green Deal -- Farm to Fork Strategy for Sustainable Food https://www.ifpri.org/event/european-green-deal-farm-fork-strategy-sustainable-food

FoodDrinkEurope: FoodDrinkEurope preliminary contribution to EU ‘Farm to Fork’ Strategy on Sustainable Food (12 March 2020) https://www.fooddrinkeurope.eu/publication/fooddrinkeuropes-submission-farm2fork-consultation/

Food Navigator, 17/03/2020: EU 'farm to fork' strategy aims to feed sustainable food system https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2020/03/17/EU-farm-to-fork-strategy-aims-to-feed-sustainable-food-system

Euronews, 17/03/2020: The EU must seize this chance to deliver a fairer and more sustainable food system https://www.euronews.com/2020/03/17/the-eu-must-seize-this-chance-to-deliver-a-fairer-and-more-sustainable-food-system-view

Social Europe, 23/04/2020: Returning our food systems to business as usual would be a historic mistake https://www.socialeurope.eu/returning-our-food-systems-to-business-as-usual-would-be-a-historic-mistake

Politico, 19/05/2020: The hole in Europe’s plan to slash pesticides https://www.politico.eu/article/the-hole-in-europes-plan-to-slash-pesticides/

EUObserver, 20/05/2020: What's in the EU's new agri-food, biodiversity policy https://euobserver.com/green-deal/148421

EPRS: At a Glance, June 2020: 'Farm to Fork' strategy: Striving for healthy and sustainable food https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_ATA(2020)651971

IEEP: News, 20/10/2020: How to deliver on the EU Farm to Fork’s protein transition objectives https://ieep.eu/news/how-to-deliver-on-the-eu-farm-to-fork-s-protein-transition-objectives

EPRS: Briefing, November 2020: Farm to Fork strategy - An overview of Parliament’s positions https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=IPOL_BRI(2020)658206

European Seed, 24/11/2020: Assessing the Efficacy of the EU Farm to Fork Strategy https://european-seed.com/2020/11/assessing-the-efficacy-of-the-eu-farm-to-fork-strategy/

EurActiv: Special Reports, December 2020: Farm to Fork: what role for consumers and innovation https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/special_report/farm-to-fork-what-role-for-consumers-and-innovation/

Sheffield University: Institute for Sustainable Food: News, 11/03/2021: Farm-to-Fork strategy should be reframed, experts argue https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/sustainable-food/news/farm-fork-strategy-should-be-reframed-experts-argue

Sustainability Times, 23/04/2021: In light of new climate targets, the EU’s ‘Farm to Fork’ Strategy is ripe for a revamp https://www.sustainability-times.com/environmental-protection/in-light-of-new-climate-targets-the-eus-farm-to-fork-strategy-is-ripe-for-a-revamp/

EPRS: At a Glance, May 2021: Taking the EU's 'farm to fork' strategy forward https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_ATA(2021)690622

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