Document 14
Ref. Ares(2020)3209853 - 19/06/2020
4. Promoting the transition to sustainable agri-food systems globally
In its international cooperation1, the EU will support the global transition to sustainable agri-
food systems in line with the objectives of this Strategy. To that effect, the EU will develop
Green Alliances on sustainable agri-food systems, responding to distinct challenges in
different parts of the world.
The EU will focus its cooperation on agri-food research and innovation, with particular
reference to climate change adaptation and mitigation; agro-ecology; sustainable landscape
management and land governance; conservation and sustainable use of agro-biodiversity;
inclusive and fair value chains; nutrition and healthy diets; prevention of and response to
food crises, particularly in fragile contexts and humanitarian crises; resilience and risk
preparedness; integrated pest management; and sanitary/phytosanitary and food safety
standards, as well as sustainability of its humanitarian aid. The EU will build on ongoing
initiatives2 and use multi-stakeholder and integrated approaches.
The EU will support and accompany partner countries in the monitoring and phasing out of
highly hazardous and harmful pesticides to human health and the environment according to
international standards, agreements and conventions, and cooperate in strengthening their
legislation and enforcement capacity governing phytosanitary products.
To reduce the EU’s contribution to global deforestation and forest degradation, the
Commission will: (i) propose regulatory and non-regulatory measures to minimise the
deforestation risk associated with commodities on the EU market; and (ii) support partner
countries on sustainable agriculture and through actions to protect, sustainably manage and
restore forests.
The EU will continue to fight illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and
overfishing, promote sustainable management of fish and seafood resources and strengthen
ocean governance, marine cooperation and coastal management3.
The Commission will incorporate these priorities in the programming guidance for
cooperation with third countries in the period 2021-27.
Building on new evidence, the Commission will update its Action Plan on Nutrition4 and its
Staff Working Document Addressing Undernutrition in emergencies
5 by
i.a. focusing on integration
between nutrition outcomes and all forms of food assistance, the Continuum of Care throughout the
life cycle, shifting the narrative to tackling all forms of malnutrition, and taking into account specific
nutritional needs and vulnerabilities of neglected groups and will continue its periodic reporting
1 The EU currently cooperates with more than 60 partner countries on agriculture, nutrition and food security
and has committed EUR 9 billion in these areas in 2014-20; it has 13 Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
Agreements with third countries, and is one of the main providers of humanitarian food assistance.
2 E.g. the Development Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture (DESIRA) initiative.
3 Through the Regional Fisheries Management Organisations, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements
and our cooperation with third countries on IUU and on sustainable value chains in fisheries and aquaculture;
cooperation is particularly relevant with countries affected by climate change.
4 Ref Action Plan
5 SWD(2013) 72 final
on progress against the stunting reduction commitments made for 2025. In the same vein,
the Commission will update its Staff Working Document on Humanitarian Food Assistance6
with a focus on the humanitarian-development nexus in the food sector, and on the
measures at our disposal to meet food needs and ensure food access.
The EU will support the development of analytical and policy support tools on sustainable
agri-food systems as global public goods. The EU will promote the global transition to
sustainable agri-food systems in relevant multilateral fora and international events7.
The Commission will ensure that all measures taken under the Farm-to-Fork Strategy will
meet the Treaty obligations on Policy Coherence for Development8.
ACTIONS
Indicative No. (Lead
timetable
DG)
Promoting the transition to sustainable agri-food systems globally
Launch Green Alliances on agri-food systems with 2021
21 DEVCO
development partners to promote the transition to
sustainable food systems in developing countries,
responding to distinct challenges in different
parts of the world.
Update
Staff
Working
Document
‘Addressing 2020
22 ECHO
Undernutrition in Emergencies’ (SWD(2013) 72
final)
Update Staff Working Document ‘Humanitarian Food
2020
23 ECHO
Assistance’ (SEC(2010)374/F1)
6 SEC(2010)374/F1
7 including notably the UN Conference on Biological Diversity in 2020, the Nutrition for Growth Summit in 2020
and the UN Food Systems Summit in 2021.
8 Article 208(2), Treaty on the European Union