EESC Outlines Vision for a Sustainable and Resilient EU Food System in Times of Crisis
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has put forward a comprehensive plan to overhaul the EU’s agriculture, fisheries, and food systems, aiming to make them more resilient in the face of crises while advancing sustainability. The vision, outlined in the opinion “Fostering sustainable and resilient food systems in times of crisis,” was requested by the Hungarian presidency and adopted at the EESC’s October plenary session. The recommendations focus on ensuring food security, fair incomes for producers, environmental sustainability, and generational renewal, setting a roadmap for the long-term prosperity of the EU’s food systems.
The EESC’s vision emphasizes the need for a food system that remains competitive, crisis-proof, and aligned with the EU’s broader environmental and social goals. “Ensuring stable, sustainable incomes for producers is essential, as is fostering a knowledge-based food policy that encourages innovation,” said Arnold Puech d’Alissac, President of the World Farmers Organisation and one of the opinion’s rapporteurs. To achieve this, the EESC calls for a new policy framework that enhances farmers’ bargaining power in pricing negotiations and advocates for increased financial support for EU agricultural and fisheries sectors.
In line with the EU’s Green Deal and Farm to Fork Strategy, the EESC stresses that future trade agreements must integrate these standards to ensure fair competition while upholding high food quality. This would help harmonize global trade with the EU’s sustainability objectives.
“Fair income for primary producers is critical,” noted Piroska Kállay, rapporteur from Hungary. She stressed the importance of viewing farmers as part of the solution, not the problem. The EESC calls for stricter enforcement of unfair trading practices, standardizing these rules across the EU, and introducing a ban on below-cost selling to balance power within the food supply chain.
The EESC also highlights the importance of fostering generational renewal, particularly encouraging young people and women to enter the agriculture sector. Policies promoting education, training, and support for cooperatives and community-assisted agriculture are key to building a more resilient and equitable system by distributing economic risks and benefits more fairly among producers.
The committee is also advocating for rewarding carbon sequestration efforts in agriculture, such as through sustainable soil management, and implementing measures to prevent carbon leakage. “These actions align food production with the EU’s climate targets and global environmental commitments,” said Joe Healy, rapporteur from Ireland.
Responding to the growing risk of climate-related disasters, the EESC proposes the creation of an EU-wide public insurance mechanism, supported by public investment. This would help protect food producers from losses caused by natural disasters, such as floods or crop failures, ensuring the continuity of food supply.
The sustainable management of soil and water is also highlighted as crucial for long-term agricultural productivity. The EESC urges policies aimed at regenerating soil health, increasing water use efficiency, and reducing overall water consumption—key strategies for building resilience against climate change.
Additionally, the EESC calls for reducing bureaucratic hurdles throughout the food chain to streamline processes and enhance transparency. Regulating trade flows and creating a digitized data center to track prices and costs will help avoid market disruptions and improve transparency across food supply chains.
The EESC also reiterates its previous call for the establishment of a European Food Policy Council (EFPC). This council would serve as a platform for dialogue among a broad range of stakeholders, helping to align EU food policy with social and environmental objectives. The committee expressed satisfaction that a similar proposal has been included in the strategic dialogue on the future of EU agriculture.
Overall, the EESC’s proposals offer a detailed roadmap for building more resilient, sustainable, and equitable food systems in the EU, ensuring they are better prepared to face global challenges in the coming years.
(ks)
Leave a Reply