The European Commission has recently introduced its new Vision for Agriculture and Food, an ambitious roadmap on the future of farming and food in Europe. This strategy is designed to promote sustainable, resilient, and innovative agriculture within the European Union, setting clear objectives to ensure that the European food system can tackle current and future challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and the need for more inclusive and fair food systems.
Key priorities of the EU Vision for Agriculture and Food
The Vision for Agriculture and Food is structured around several priority areas (simplification of EU rules, research, innovation and digitalisation) aimed at making the agricultural sector more attractive and competitive for future generations.
More specifically, the main priorities include:
- Ensuring the future of farmers: Supporting the financial sustainability of agriculture by combating unfair practices and ensuring fair incomes for farmers. This includes creating opportunities for young people in rural areas and improving farmers’ position in the food supply chain.
- Promoting environmental sustainability: Encouraging farming practices that protect the environment by reducing the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers while promoting biodiversity. The vision highlights the importance of rewarding farmers for providing ecosystem services.
- Encouraging innovation and digitalization: Supporting research and the adoption of new technologies in the agricultural sector to increase efficiency, reduce waste, and improve food traceability. Digitalization is seen as a key factor in modernizing European agriculture.
- Strengthening the resilience of the agri-food sector: Preparing the sector to face future crises, such as climate change or pandemics, while ensuring food security for all European citizens.
How does this relate to the Food4CE Project?
The launch of the Vision for Agriculture and Food is not only a major development in EU policy, but also aligns closely with the goals and activities of the Food4CE project. Food4CE aims to revolutionize food networks in Central Europe, making them more sustainable and accessible.
Food4CE focuses on strengthening the innovation capacity of Alternative Food Networks (AFNs) in Central Europe by establishing 5 local and 1 transnational Innovation Hubs for the food and logistics sectors. These hubs facilitate the exchange of best practices and the adoption of innovative technologies. The project’s activities also include the implementation of systemic policies to support these networks, which are often lacking in Central Europe. Through transnational collaboration, Food4CE seeks to create a more resilient food system directly supporting the objectives outlined in the European Commission’s vision.
Strengthening European collaboration
By fostering collaboration between policymakers, research institutions, businesses, and farmers, both the Vision for Agriculture and Food and the Food4CE project aim to create a model for sustainable agricultural practices across Europe. The synergy between the European Commission’s long-term strategy and the practical initiatives developed within Food4CE highlights the crucial importance of cooperative, regionally focused actions in achieving broader sustainability goals.
As the Food4CE project continues its work in promoting sustainable practices, it will play a key role in supporting the European Union’s vision for the future of agriculture and food systems, ensuring that Central Europe is at the forefront of this transformation.
Stay tuned for more updates as we advance the sustainability agenda through innovation, collaboration, and knowledge sharing!
For further details on the EU Vision for Agriculture and Food, visit the official European Commission website: https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/vision-agriculture-food_en