Posted on May, 03 2023

Since the publication of the Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy, rising fuel, feed and fertiliser costs and disruption in the supply of key globally traded commodities, have resulted in record food prices, and increasing levels of global food insecurity. It has highlighted the vulnerability of the EU food system when confronted with global shocks – whether that is geopolitical instability, global pandemics, or climate change. 

Over the last 12 months there has been a concerted attack by some stakeholders against the sustainable food policies outlined within the F2F strategy - the argument being that the strategy puts food security at risk. Some farming groups, politicians, food businesses and agri-food groups now advocate that the F2F Strategy and the legislative initiatives under it, need to be reviewed, with a greater emphasis on increasing agricultural production and productivity to ‘feed the EU and the world’ – with a need to water down some of the greening measures.

This briefing highlights that short-term measures to return to ‘business as usual’ will have a negative impact on  European food security in the long term. Rolling back the F2F strategy to scale up intensive systems of food production would not solve the current pressures on the global food supply  - instead, it would move us even further away from a food system that is resilient to future shocks.

The F2F strategy offers a unique opportunity to promote joined up policies that result in synergies for food security, production, sustainability, and health – it must not be weakened or abandoned.