Document 8
f. Ares(2020)1561583 - 13/03/2020
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development
Planet and Prosperity
Rural Development, Food Security and Nutrition
Brussels,
devco.c.1
ANNEX TO THE REPLY OF DG DEVCO
AVAILABLE IN DECIDE
Interservice consultations initiated by: DG SANTE
Reference: Ares(2020) 1333725
Titles: Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European
Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee
of the Regions on the Farm to Fork Strategy for a Sustainable Food System.
Person to contact in the DG:
Agreement
Favourable opinion subject to comments being taken into account
Negative opinion
DEVCO welcomes the ambitious aims of the Farm-to-Fork Strategy, which ‘seeks to address
the challenges of sustainable food systems in a comprehensive and universal way, recognising
the essential links between healthy people, healthy societies and a healthy planet’.
Understandably, the Farm-to-Fork Strategy focuses on proposals for action within the EU.
Nevertheless, as the Strategy indicates, ‘the transition to sustainable food systems cannot be
achieved by the EU acting alone’. The Strategy’s impact around the world will also depend on
the external actions of the EU, notably through our cooperation with partner countries.
DEVCO is of the opinion that this should be better reflected in the document. To this effect,
DEVCO proposes new text for section 3.3. (see below) and strongly suggests that the section
be upgraded to a separate chapter of the Strategy. This would be in line with the Biodiversity
Strategy, which contains a separate (3.5 page) chapter on the global biodiversity challenges.
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The newly proposed text below reflects the current momentum in redefining DEVCO’s
portfolio into a more robust agri-food systems approach in various parts of the globe. DEVCO
also proposes the development of Green Alliances on agri-food systems in different parts of
the world, referring to the mentioning of this concept in the Green Deal Communication of
December 2019, and proposes to include this as a separate action in the Action Plan annexed
to the Farm-to-Fork Strategy.
Besides these two major comments, DEVCO has a couple of other minor observations on the
Strategy:
•
Food systems around the world are very diverse. Different food systems face
different challenges and require different pathways towards sustainability. This
diversity should be acknowledged.
•
Just as the Green Deal is presented as an integral part of the Commission’s strategy
to implement Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), so
should the Farm-to-Fork Strategy be well rooted in Agenda 2030. The inter-linked
nature of many of the SDGs is particularly relevant in the case of agriculture, food
and nutrition as well as the blue economy.
•
Where possible, the Farm-to-Fork strategy should be cross-referenced to other
components of the European Green Deal (notably Biodiversity Strategy and
Circular Economy Action Plan as well as Industrial Strategy given the issue of
traceability and standard setting in food and carbon footprints). Moreover, it could
better illustrate how it contributes to the Green Deal objectives, including carbon
neutrality by 2050, the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and
resource efficiency/circularity.
Reflecting the comments and observations above, we provide the following concrete proposals
for change:
Section 1, 2nd paragraph:
To add at the end: “The Farm-to-Fork Strategy is an integral element of the Commission’s
Agenda to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Improving food systems will
have a major beneficial effect on many of the SDGs.”
Section 1, 3d paragraph:
“Food systems are globally responsible for around 21-37% of total greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions, have a profound effect on biodiversity, water and soil pollution, carbon sinks and
are one of the principal causes of resource depletion and degradation of natural ecosystems.
However, food systems are very diverse around the globe and each system faces specific
challenges to achieve sustainability.”
Section 1, 6th paragraph [to reflect that food security is more than the availability of food]
“
Food insecurity remains an issue. The global population is projected to increase to more than
9 billion by 2050. An increasing share will live in cities and adopt urban food consumption
patterns. Considering also that presently over 820 million people presently suffer from are
2
hungry, and about 2 billion people suffer from one or more forms of malnutrition, global food
availability would need to increase by 50% percent from 2012 to 2050 in order to meet the
increased demand, while accessibility, affordability and nutritional qualities of food should
improve …”
Section 1, paragraph 10 (to use the quote more fully)
….At global level, it is estimated that a food and agricultural systems in line with the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) would deliver nutritious, affordable food for a
growing world population, generate higher incomes – especially for the world’s 1.5 billion
smallholders – and help restore forests, freshwater resources and vital ecosystems, including
the world's oceans. Moreover, it could create new economic value of more than EUR
1.8trillion by 2030….
Section 3.3. – to become new Chapter 4:
New text:
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 food crises; resilience
and risk preparedness; integrated pest management; and sanitary/phytosanitary and food safety
standards. 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.
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
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 will
continue its periodic reporting on progress against the stunting reduction commitments made
for 2025.
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 events5.
The Commission will ensure coherence between the internal and the external dimension of all
measures taken under the Farm-to-Fork Strategy to reach objectives within and outside the
EU6.
Section 4 (to become 5), 1st paragraph:
The Farm to Fork Strategy put forward by this Communication has the ambition to transform
European food systems into a global standard for sustainability and to improve the
sustainability of food systems globally.
Section 4 (to become 5), 2nd paragraph:
The transition to sustainable food systems needs a collective approach involving public
authorities at all levels of governance, including partner countries, cities, rural and coastal
communities, private sector actors across the food value chain, non-governmental
organisations, academics and citizens.”
Annex – Action Plan
To add a section ‘Promoting the transition to sustainable agri-food systems globally’ and to
include the following action:
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 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.
6 Policy Coherence for Development, Article 208, Treaty on the European Union
4