In Ursula von der Leyen’s 2023 State of the European Union deal with, the EC President mirrored on previous achievements and hopes for the longer term.
However it’s that which was not stated that has raised alarm bells amongst environmental advocates, who worry deal with sustainable meals programs is being pushed to 1 facet.
Sufficient deal with Inexperienced Deal goals?
Addressing the European Parliament yesterday (13 September), the president primarily centered on the well being of the European economic system, international market competitors, continued assist for Ukraine amid the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, and the necessity to develop international requirements for the ‘protected and moral use of AI’.
The European Inexperienced Deal was additionally praised, and the EU’s dedication to net-zero reiterated. Give attention to meals nonetheless largely centred round meals safety and reward for the agricultural sector.
“I want to take this chance to specific my appreciation to our farmers, to thank them for offering us with meals day after day,” stated President von der Leyen earlier than the Parliament.
“For us in Europe, this process of agriculture – producing wholesome meals – is the inspiration of our agricultural coverage. And self-sufficiency in meals can also be necessary for us. That’s what our farmers present.”
Any point out of the necessity to transition to sustainable meals programs, as per the Farm to Fork Technique beneath the Inexperienced Deal, was omitted.
The exclusion has been lamented by environmental advocates, together with authorized marketing campaign group ClientEarth. “Whereas von der Leyen acknowledged the significance of addressing the local weather and biodiversity crises, there was no point out of essential excellent legal guidelines wanted to attain the Inexperienced Deal goals. As a substitute, the president centered on addressing industrial pursuits and competitivity,” stated head of ClientEarth Brussels workplace Anaïs Berther.
“With the European elections looming, von der Leyen appears to have adopted the place of a candidate. We hope it received’t make her lose deal with the necessity to guarantee a habitable planet for future generations.”
Highlight on the Sustainable Meals Methods Framework Legislation
The proposal for a legislative framework for sustainable meals programs (FSFS) is taken into account a flagship initiative of the Farm to Fork Technique.
In line with the Fee, its objective is to speed up and make the transition to sustainable meals programs simpler, and ‘mainstream’ sustainability in all food-related insurance policies and strengthen the resilience of meals programs. A sustainability labelling framework additionally sit inside the FSFS.
With the FSFS anticipated to be adopted by the Fee this 12 months, some anticipated the framework to get a point out. It didn’t.
Others could have been much less shocked. Two days earlier than the deal with, the Monetary Instances reported that in keeping with ‘three EU officers with data of the matter’, the Fee had dropped the sustainable meals regulation.
“Nothing was stated on the Sustainable Meals System regulation, which is vital to making sure long-term entry to wholesome and sustainable meals for individuals throughout the EU,” responded ClientEarth’s Berther to von der Leyen’s deal with.
“Von der Leyen worryingly echoed rising false narratives on the dangers to meals safety and the burden on farmers’ revenue that might be created by new obligations.”
Gradual Meals, too, was ‘extremely involved’ by the ‘full absence’ of any point out to the transition to sustainable meals programs, which it burdened is a ‘main’ contributor to local weather change, in addition to public well being and biodiversity crises.
The grassroots organisation, which campaigns for extra holistic EU and farming coverage to guard conventional meals and small-scale farmers, hopes the Fee’s 2024 work program will function sustainable farming ‘explicitly’, and that President von der Leyen ‘won’t fully yield to all agro-industry’s calls for’.
EC: Omitting FSFS from speech doesn’t recommend a scarcity of dedication
Members of the mobile agriculture and fermentation-derived meals sector additionally needed to see extra deal with the FSFS, which they name a ‘linchpin’ to the Farm to Fork Technique and the European Inexperienced Deal.
The FSFS is ‘important’ to creating the enabling circumstances – starting from regulatory pathways for novel meals, incentives and subsidies, and measurable targets – vital for a ‘simply and worthwhile’ transition for each standard and progressive agri-food sectors, famous {industry} organisations Mobile Agriculture Europe and Meals Fermentation Europe.
“We encourage you to be cautious of a vocal minority which might be pushing false dichotomies round remodeling meals programs,” they suggested the EC President. “The Fee doesn’t have to decide on between assembly local weather targets and supporting rural elements of the EU, and it definitely doesn’t have to decide on between conventionally produced meals from farmers and new complementary merchandise like ours. Each can and should coexist in a climate-resilient meals system.”
When requested whether or not the EC is halting work on the FSFS, a Fee spokesperson informed FoodNavigator it was, is, and continues to be formidable for the European Inexperienced Deal and its implementation.
“It is very important stress that the actual fact this laws was not talked about within the speech doesn’t alter the truth that the promotion of sustainable agriculture and meals programs is necessary for the Fee.
“As talked about within the State of the Union, agriculture and safety of the pure world can go hand in hand and we’d like each for the way forward for our planet and our prosperity.”
Is ‘finish the cage age’ actually ending?
One other sustainability focus some anticipated to be talked about within the president’s State of the Union deal with was animal welfare – additionally thought of an ‘integral’ a part of the Farm to Fork technique.
One specific space of curiosity inside the broad idea of animal welfare is caged farming. In 2021, the Fee agreed to ban cages for a variety of cattle, together with rabbits, pullets, layer breeders, broiler breeders, quail, geese and geese. It was anticipated a legislative proposal can be developed by 2023, and the Fee was assessing the feasibility of working in direction of the ban being enforced from 2027.
The choice got here in response to the European Residents’ initiative ‘Finish the Cage Age’, which was not solely supported by meals majors Nestlé, Unilever, and Mondelēz Worldwide, but in addition 1.4m residents.
President von der Leyen made no point out to animal welfare in her deal with, which animal welfare charity Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) takes to imply the ban has been shelved.
The identical ‘three EU officers’ informed the Monetary Instances the proposal – together with others associated to animal welfare – had been dropped. However one different prompt to the every day enterprise newspaper a scaled-back model can be proposed.
Within the EU, CIWF estimates that 300m farmed animals spend all or a part of their lives in cages, pens or stalls, with some hens and rabbits confined to areas ‘in regards to the dimension of an A4 sheet of paper’.
“What occurred right now is scandalous,” stated CIWF EU head Olga Kikou after the speech. “The European Fee has gone again on its phrase to provide animals a life price residing, bowing to the calls for of the Massive Agri foyer and killing the brand new animal welfare legal guidelines by delaying.
“They’ve betrayed the belief of its residents and have turned EU democracy into an empty shell. Forward of the EU elections, this won’t go unnoticed within the polls.”
When requested whether or not the Fee was dropping plans for stricter animal welfare measures, a Fee spokesperson once more stated that the actual fact it wasn’t talked about within the deal with doesn’t alter the actual fact the Fee has been working very arduous during the last 40 years to enhance the lives of animals.
“Now we have adopted welfare requirements in laws which might be amongst the very best on the planet. Animal welfare is a vital precedence for the Fee,” we have been informed. “That’s the reason, as a part of its Farm to Fork Technique, the Fee is engaged on the revision of the EU’s animal welfare laws.
“We are able to nonetheless not give any additional particulars concerning timing.”
To be taught extra in regards to the transition in direction of extra sustainable meals programs, register right here for our free-to-attend Local weather Good Meals digital occasion 19-21 September.
