Proposal for EU Sustainable Food Systems Law should be ready before the end of the Commission's mandate - letter
Posted on September, 06 2023
Today, a week before Ursula von der Leyen delivers her SOTEU speech, 160 civil society organisations and scientists, have issued a letter urging the European Commission to present its proposal for the law by the end of the mandate, as planned.
According to media reports, the Sustainable Food Systems Law has about a 50-50 chance of ever coming to light. Over the last year, Europe witnessed how rising food prices have squeezed the incomes of many families. Today, around 38 million people in the EU cannot access enough (healthy) food, a trend that has steadily grown since 2015 and which could significantly increase if the EU food system continues down this route.
"Scientific evidence clearly backs the urgency of the transformation of our food system towards a more sustainable and healthier one, within planetary boundaries. The European Commission must keep environmental and social sustainability, as well as animal welfare, at the heart of the policy debate around food, agriculture and fisheries. The challenges ahead are not minor, and the cost of inaction in terms of biodiversity loss, extreme weather events, and subsequent damage to agricultural productivity, together with the surge of non-communicable diseases, is unaffordable," the signatories said in the letter.You can access the letter here.