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How can the EU Farm to Fork strategy deliver on its organic promises? Some critical reflections

Author

Listed:
  • Heidrun Moschitz
  • Adrian Muller
  • Ursula Kretzschmar
  • Lisa Haller
  • Miguel de Porras
  • Catherine Pfeifer
  • Bernadette Oehen
  • Helga Willer
  • Hanna Stolz

Abstract

The European Commission's Farm to Fork (F2F) Strategy sets ambitious targets to transform the whole food system towards greater sustainability, but we are critical about its strong focus on technical innovations while neglecting the social and structural aspects in transforming food systems. Also, the target of 25 per cent of EU's agricultural land under organic production by 2030 can only be reached if policy measures go beyond production to include processing and retail, and develop the demand side; otherwise, we could witness collapsing markets with strongly decreasing farm prices. An Organic Action Plan needs to include flexibility for implementation, accounting for the respective national situations; and specific objectives for each farming sector should be formulated. The strategy's call for a ‘shift to healthy, sustainable diets’ needs a comprehensive approach, involving all relevant stakeholders, such as processors, retailers and consumers to identify the most suitable leverage points and support changes in consumption patterns and habits. The Member States need to equip their AKIS accordingly and educate advisors, researchers, knowledge brokers and others for the required change in attitudes and practice. With a view to the necessary comprehensive transformation, the AKIS should be extended to a Food and Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System. La stratégie de la ferme à l'assiette (F2F) de la Commission européenne fixe des objectifs ambitieux pour transformer l'ensemble du système alimentaire afin d'accroître sa durabilité. Pourtant, nous déplorons le fort accent mis sur les innovations techniques tout en négligeant les aspects sociaux et structurels de cette transformation. En outre, l'objectif de 25% des terres agricoles de l'Union européenne en production biologique d'ici à 2030 ne peut être atteint que si les mesures gouvernementales vont au‐delà de la production primaire pour inclure la transformation et la vente au détail et développer la demande; sinon, nous pourrions assister à l'effondrement des marchés avec une forte baisse des prix agricoles. Un plan d'action pour l'agriculture biologique doit inclure une flexibilité pour la mise en œuvre, en tenant compte des situations nationales respectives, et la formulation d'objectifs spécifiques pour chaque secteur agricole. L'appel de la stratégie en faveur d'un «passage à une alimentation saine et durable» nécessite une approche globale, impliquant toutes les parties prenantes concernées comme les transformateurs, les détaillants et les consommateurs, afin d'identifier les points de levier les plus appropriés et de soutenir les changements dans les modes et les habitudes de consommation. Les États membres doivent équiper leur système de connaissances et d'innovation agricoles en conséquence et former les conseillers, les chercheurs, les intermédiaires de la transmission des connaissances et autres acteurs pour permettre le changement nécessaire des attitudes et des pratiques. En vue de la transformation globale nécessaire, le système de connaissances et d'innovation agricoles devrait s’élargir pour couvrir l'alimentation en plus de l'agriculture. Die „Farm to Fork” (F2F)‐Strategie der Europäischen Kommission gibt ehrgeizige Ziele für die Änderung des gesamten Ernährungssystems in Richtung mehr Nachhaltigkeit vor. Wir sehen jedoch den starken Fokus der F2F‐Strategie auf technische Innovationen kritisch, weil die sozialen und strukturellen Aspekte der Umwandlung von Ernährungssystemen vernachlässigt werden. Auch das Ziel, 25 Prozent der landwirtschaftlichen Nutzfläche der EU bis 2030 ökologisch zu bewirtschaften, kann nur erreicht werden, wenn die politischen Maßnahmen über die Produktion hinausgehen: Die Verarbeitung und der Einzelhandel müssten ebenfalls mit eingeschlossen und die Nachfrageseite entwickelt werden, denn andernfalls könnte es zu einem Zusammenbruch der Märkte mit stark sinkenden Agrarpreisen kommen. Ein Aktionsplan für den ökologischen Landbau sollte unter Berücksichtigung der jeweiligen nationalen Situationen Flexibilität für die Umsetzung beinhalten und es sollten spezifische Ziele für jeden einzelnen Landwirtschaftssektor formuliert werden. Die Forderung der Strategie, einen “Wechsel hin zu gesunder, nachhaltiger Ernährung” einzuleiten, erfordert einen umfassenden Ansatz, bei dem alle relevanten Interessengruppen, wie z.B. verarbeitende Unternehmen, der Einzelhandel und Verbraucherinnen und Verbraucher, einbezogen werden. Dies mit dem Ziel, die am besten geeigneten Ansatzpunkte zu ermitteln und Änderungen in den Verbrauchsmustern und ‐gewohnheiten zu unterstützen. Die Mitgliedsstaaten müssen ihr AKIS entsprechend ausstatten und die in Beratung, Forschung, Wissensvermittlung und anderen Einrichtungen Tätigen für den geforderten Wandel der Einstellungen und Verhaltensweisen ausbilden. Im Hinblick auf die notwendige umfassende Transformation sollte das AKIS zu einem Wissens‐ und Innovationssystem für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft ausgebaut werden.

Suggested Citation

  • Heidrun Moschitz & Adrian Muller & Ursula Kretzschmar & Lisa Haller & Miguel de Porras & Catherine Pfeifer & Bernadette Oehen & Helga Willer & Hanna Stolz, 2021. "How can the EU Farm to Fork strategy deliver on its organic promises? Some critical reflections," EuroChoices, The Agricultural Economics Society, vol. 20(1), pages 30-36, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:eurcho:v:20:y:2021:i:1:p:30-36
    DOI: 10.1111/1746-692X.12294
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Frank Eyhorn & Adrian Muller & John P. Reganold & Emile Frison & Hans R. Herren & Louise Luttikholt & Alexander Mueller & Jürn Sanders & Nadia El-Hage Scialabba & Verena Seufert & Pete Smith, 2019. "Sustainability in global agriculture driven by organic farming," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 2(4), pages 253-255, April.
    2. Gianluca Brunori & Dominique Barjolle & Anne-Charlotte Dockes & Simone Helmle & Julie Ingram & Laurens Klerkx & Heidrun Moschitz & Gusztáv Nemes & Talis Tisenkopfs, 2013. "CAP Reform and Innovation: The Role of Learning and Innovation Networks," EuroChoices, The Agricultural Economics Society, vol. 12(2), pages 27-33, August.
    3. Bruno Basso & John Antle, 2020. "Digital agriculture to design sustainable agricultural systems," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 3(4), pages 254-256, April.
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    1. Andreea-Emanuela Dragoi & Anca-Catalina Dragomir, 2022. "The Role of Common Agricultural Policy in Climate Actions," Global Economic Observer, "Nicolae Titulescu" University of Bucharest, Faculty of Economic Sciences;Institute for World Economy of the Romanian Academy, vol. 10(1), pages 80-87, June.
    2. Yaprak Kurtsal & Giacomo Maria Rinaldi & Federica Savini & Rubina Sirri & Martin Melin & Elena Pacetti & Alessandra De Cesare & Marialetizia Fioravanti & Elena Luppi & Gerardo Manfreda & Davide Viaggi, 2024. "Improving the Education and Training Policies of the Agri-Food and Forestry Sectors: Identifying New Strategies to Meet the Needs of the Sector and Farm-to-Fork Priorities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-20, February.
    3. Schulze, Christoph & Matzdorf, Bettina & Rommel, Jens & Czajkowski, Mikołaj & García-Llorente, Marina & Gutiérrez-Briceño, Inés & Larsson, Lina & Zagórska, Katarzyna & Zawadzki, Wojciech, 2024. "Between farms and forks: Food industry perspectives on the future of EU food labelling," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).
    4. Ana Clara Borrego & Rute Abreu & Francisco Alegria Carreira & Filipe Caetano & Ana Lúcia Vasconcelos, 2023. "Environmental Taxation on the Agri-Food Sector and the Farm to Fork Strategy: The Portuguese Case," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-18, August.
    5. Rees, Charles & Grovermann, Christian & Finger, Robert, 2023. "National organic action plans and organic farmland area growth in Europe," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    6. Patrizia Ghisellini & Amos Ncube & Gloria Rotolo & Chiara Vassillo & Serena Kaiser & Renato Passaro & Sergio Ulgiati, 2023. "Evaluating Environmental and Energy Performance Indicators of Food Systems, within Circular Economy and “Farm to Fork” Frameworks," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-38, February.
    7. Jayson Beckman & Maros Ivanic & Jeremy Jelliffe, 2022. "Market impacts of Farm to Fork: Reducing agricultural input usage," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 44(4), pages 1995-2013, December.
    8. Olga M. Moreno-Pérez & Amparo Blázquez-Soriano, 2023. "What future for organic farming? Foresight for a smallholder Mediterranean agricultural system," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 11(1), pages 1-24, December.

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