We need Farm to Fork now more than ever
JACLOU-DL from Pixabay.
More than 85 NGOs are calling on the European Union to not derail the EU Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies on the false claim that European food security is threatened by the current Russia-Ukraine war.
EUROPARC is a member of the EU Food Policy Coalition. Our role in the Coalition is to strengthen and promote the valuable role terrestrial and Marine Protected Areas play in the production of healthy food. In this context, we support the open letter that over 85 NGOs have submitted to the European Commission. The letter urges that we keep the ambitions high when it comes to Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Targets.
The letter is a response to comments made by Commissioner for Agriculture Wojciechowski, who stated that “if food security is in danger, then we need to have another look at the objectives of the Farm to Fork strategy and correct them”.
We believe the contrary to be true:
the crisis in Ukraine is yet another reminder of how essential it is to implement the Green Deal and its Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies.
Both the COVID-19 pandemic and the tragic war in Ukraine that is destroying towns and lives, have also shed light on the weaknesses of the European food system, which requires concrete actions to ensure long-term sustainability.
As stated in the letter: “More than ever, the EU must shift towards healthy, socially and environmentally friendly farming practices, such as agroecology, organic farming, and agroforestry, which provide the only path to ensuring long-term food security, food sovereignty, and the overall sustainability of the food systems. We must turn away from intensive agriculture, industrial fisheries and aquaculture.”
Only through keeping the Farm to Fork strategy and its policies strong, can Europe ensure that we move away from unsustainable practices and move towards secure food for all.
Global food systems will continue to be afflicted by crises and uncertainties over the coming years and decades. By acting responsibly now, we will ensure that Europe is well–placed to face possible future crises.
You can read the entire statement here:
