From farm to fork. This is the European programme for sustainable agriculture

In December 2019, the European Union launched the European Green Pact. It aimed to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 while working towards a more prosperous and equitable society and a more modern and competitive economy. And from the heart of the Pact was born, at the height of the pandemic, the Farm to Fork programme. Because you cannot achieve a more sustainable planet or mitigate the effects of climate change without addressing the way we grow our food.

During the history of the old continent there were so many periods when famine ravaged large regions that during the last decades nobody seemed to care about how we were getting, now, abundant and affordable food for the whole population. It seemed that the only important thing was its availability. Until the overexploitation of resources and environmental pollution caused by intensive agriculture became too urgent a problem to postpone tackling. Yes, the planet is demanding a paradigm shift. And climate change tells us that it has to happen extremely fast.

This does not mean that we should go back to the days of subsistence farming, or give up the security of having full shelves in our markets.

Aim: sustainability and protection for the planet and humans

The EU programme is committed to eliminating some of the practices that have ensured our food abundance since the second half of the 20th century, especially the excessive use of pesticides, fertilisers and antimicrobials, because of the long-term damage they cause to the entire farming system. But it encourages their replacement with practices that allow us to maintain yields while protecting our future and that of the planet. In fact, the targets set with a view to 2030 are these:

  • Securing enough food, making it affordable and nutritious without exceeding planetary limits
  • Reduce the use of pesticides by 50% and fertilisers by at least 20%. The sale of antimicrobials for farm and aquaculture animals is also to be reduced by 50%.
  • Increase the amount of land devoted to organic farming by 25%.
  • Promoting healthy and more sustainable food consumption and diets
  • Reducing food loss and food waste
  • Fighting food fraud in the supply chain
  • Improving animal welfare.

An ambitious and comprehensive proposal

The ambitious strategy tackles the key drivers of biodiversity loss head-on: unsustainable land and sea use, overexploitation of natural resources, pollution and invasive alien species.

Indeed, it proposes to define binding targets to regenerate rivers and degraded ecosystems, improve the health of EU protected species and habitats, restore pollinators to farmland, reduce pollution and green cities, increase organic farming and other biodiversity-friendly agricultural practices, and improve the health of Europe’s forests.

The EU’s approach is to work holistically, looking at all stages of food production. And there are many other elements that are being worked on in Farm to Fork. These are some of the proposals:

  • Mandatory nutrition labelling on the front of the package
  • Requirement to indicate the origin of certain products
  • Nutrient profiling for foods high in salt, sugar or fat
  • Initiatives to improve processed foods, e.g. by setting maximum levels for certain nutrients.
  • Review of EU legislation to ensure consumer health and reduce environmental footprint
  • Proposal for a framework for sustainable food labelling

Much more than an agricultural programme

Farm to Fork thus becomes much more than an agricultural plan because it puts the producers at the centre of its approach by placing those who consume at their side, a citizenry that demands more nutritious, healthier food produced in a way that respects the planet.

At the same time, it is also presented as a growth strategy, since it offers business and investment opportunities, as has been made clear in different meetings, and it is also a health strategy that seeks to reverse obesity figures by changing consumption patterns, as well as a prevention strategy against new crises – because a sustainable food system will provide us with the necessary resilience.

Ultimately, the strategy is becoming a central element of the EU’s recovery plan and can play a crucial role in changing our food system and improving our lives.