Strasbourg, 20.10.2021. After weeks of being under siege by aggressive lobbying, the European Parliament in Strasbourg has voted in favor of the ambitious Farm-to-Fork Strategy. MEP Manuela Ripa (ÖDP): "The course is finally being set for the necessary transformation of agriculture and for a sustainable, fair food system. This is good for animal welfare, for supporting farmers, for more sustainable agriculture and for consumers."

In May 2020, the Commission published the Farm-to-Fork Strategy as the food and agriculture component of the European Green Deal. The strategy lists 27 measures to make the entire European food system sustainable: From greener food production to recommendations for retailers, food labeling guidelines for consumers and more.

"By calling for a significant reduction in the use of chemical and toxic pesticides by 2030, we have succeeded in setting one of the most ambitious goals of the Farm-to-Fork Strategy," says Manuela Ripa. The current overuse of pesticides is driving species extinction and poisoning the soil. This only helps agriculture in the short term and is not sustainable. For this reason, the MEP also campaigned in particular for a ban on the export of pesticides to third countries, which have long been banned in the EU.

Furthermore, the European Parliament is explicitly in favor of higher animal welfare standards and welcomes the Commission's plans to reduce the sale of antibiotics in livestock farming and fish farming by 50%.  

"Another strong signal for animal welfare is the ban on imports of animal products from third countries whose production does not meet EU standards," explains Ripa. The fact that in future there should be a clear definition of intensive livestock farming in the EU's legal system in order to prevent EU funds from being allocated to industrial livestock farming is another major success.

Consumer protection is not neglected in Farm-to-Fork either. The vote has succeeded in highlighting the need to label animal products with regard to the production process and animal welfare indicators: "Consumers must be able to recognize at first glance how the animals were kept in order to make informed purchasing decisions." In addition, the Farm-to-Fork Strategy also calls for mandatory labeling of synthetic ingredients and mandatory nutritional labeling on products.

Manuela Ripa concludes: "I am delighted that so many of my and our goals have made it into the report. Of course, it is an ambitious program, but one thing is certain: sticking to the status quo will be to the detriment of all of us in the long term - consumers, farmers, animals and the environment. The national strategic plans of the member states for the implementation of EU agricultural policy must be more closely aligned with the farm-to-fork strategy. It is now also up to the Commission to turn the strategy into ambitious legislative proposals!"

For more information and answers to any unanswered questions, we recommend reading the GREENS/EFA Group's mythbuster on the farm-to-fork strategy.

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