Farm to fork does not appeal to farmers. They had already underlined this by highlighting the 9 paradoxes of the strategy that is part of the Green deal of the European Commission, they reiterated it in the in-depth event promoted by Eunews in collaboration with Sustainable Meat and European Livestock Voice. No strenuous opposition, but the European livestock sector continues in the search for a constructive dialogue with the EU institutions aimed at obtaining greater involvement in the legislative process that will lead to the application of the strategy intended to guide EU agri-food policies in the coming decades.
The sustainability goal
«Our post-Covid future cannot and must not simply be“ let’s go back to normal ”. Each actor must play their role to achieve the transition to sustainable food systems. Livestock farming is one of the essential sectors of European agriculture and it is part of the solution, I believe that this sector makes all efforts towards sustainable production in line with the objectives of the Green Deal ”, said Claire Bury of the EU Commission. And he spoke precisely on the risks and opportunities of the “Farm to fork” strategy Luigi Scordamaglia, president of Assocarni and representative for Italy of the Sustainable Meat Association. “An extraordinary opportunity – says Scordamaglia – but also a risk, namely that this green transition is not guided by an objective and rational approach, based on numbers and data, but is conditioned by ideological or even worse instrumental approaches and this would transform a opportunity in a defeat for producers but also for European consumers ». And on sustainability, which is increasingly the pivot on which the debate is ignited, President Scordamaglia recalls: “To those who think of becoming sustainable by returning to using the wooden plow, I would like to point out that the sustainability results achieved in Italy derive from to be the second country in the world in the use of robots and in the automation of the food sector. We are the eighth economy in the world for GDP, but only the third from last for CO2 emissions, even though we emit little. This is the way to sustainability we want ”, concluded Scordamaglia. «I believe – added Herbert Dorfmann, European Deputy, Agri Commission – that the Farm to fork strategy proposed by the Commission for the agri-food supply chains is of high value for an effective involvement of both consumers and operators. However, we must evaluate the impacts of this strategy also at an economic and social level: it is a responsibility towards citizens and also for operators who are committed to guaranteeing accessibility to food: a scientific approach is essential to be sustainable ».
Traditions to be preserved
On distant but not diametrically opposed positions Jytte Guteland, MEP from the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists & Democrats who stresses the need for a change of pace also in the livestock sector in view of a sustainability objective that today, according to the MEP, still does not seems to be achieved. «There are many sensitivities to the Farm to fork strategy, but it should be remembered that we are going through a historic moment, the Green Deal which represents a fundamental step for future generations. The direction on sustainability must be clear – explains Guteland – although much has been done, there is still work to be done but we can do it. Farmers today are the real heroes of everyday life because food is the source of life. However, we need a sustainable future for this sector, a new direction for Europe in the distribution of incentives that must be destined above all to those farmers who decide to move towards sustainability: in summary we can say that farmers are not part of the problem but of the solution. Finally, Pekka Pesonen, Copa – Cogeca Secretary General, who spoke on behalf of European Livestock Voice, the association that brings together European organizations in the livestock sector, recalled the commitment in terms of sustainability of animal husbandry, underlining its economic value. Today, in fact, the sector represents about 40% of the entire European agricultural sector for a value of 170 billion euros with 4 million employees. “What we need – concludes Pesonen – is that the European Union implements policies that allow the agricultural sector to make the necessary changes to maintain our production model autonomous, so that it supports our culinary traditions known all over the world, contributes to the economic development of rural areas, supports the circular economy and responds to the future expectations of consumers “.