The Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy published by the EU this week is the outline plan for agricultural production and trade in the EU during the remainder of this decade.
It will be agriculture’s part of the EU Green Deal, the theme of this Commission as announced by the President Ursula von der Leyen when the new Commission took over in December 2019. Its ambition is to make the EU carbon neutral by 2050, and F2F is how the agriculture sector will contribute to that.
Gerry Kiely, head of representation for the European Commission Representation in Ireland, says “addressing climate change is and will be a top EU priority for decades to come and agriculture will have an important role to play in dealing with it.
Today, too many see agriculture as part of the problem
“If everyone recognises this and engages constructively then it can be a win:win for both farmers and society. Today, too many see agriculture as part of the problem. This image must be changed by the sector itself to being seen as part of the solution.”
What is perhaps most striking about the F2F strategy for agriculture and farming in the EU is that it isn’t being led by the Commissioner for Agriculture, but by the Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakidou.
Launching the report on Wednesday, she said the strategy would influence how “we produce, buy and consume our food”.
A Commission official said it was moving ahead with the current reform
She stressed the COVID-19 crisis underlined the need to move forward with plans for a more sustainable food supply chain.
Many of the changes will be influenced through the CAP. A Commission official said it was moving ahead with the current reform but that the Farm to Fork strategy would heavily influence the actions countries included in their CAP strategic plans.
Farmers to be paid to
remove carbon
A major plank of the Farm to Fork strategy will be to develop ways that farmers can be paid for sequestering carbon. It recognises that agriculture, unlike any other sector, has the ability to suck carbon out of the atmosphere.
Soils, grassland, trees and hedgerows can all play an important role and the Commission wants to incentivise farming practices that remove carbon. Doing so would provide a new income stream for farmers.
Under the next CAP, farmers could be paid for the removal of carbon
It sees the money coming from two places – the CAP and private industry.
Under the next CAP, farmers could be paid for the removal of carbon. These payments will most likely come through eco-schemes, which will replace Greening.
The EU wants to ringfence a portion of the direct payment budget, likely to be in the region of 30% to 40%, for eco-schemes.
Secondly, the Commission wants to develop a carbon sink market whereby companies emitting carbon in other sectors could pay farmers to sequester it, thereby offsetting them. This would provide additional income for farmers on top of CAP payments.
The first step in achieving the radical shift towards carbon farming is the development of a reliable system for monitoring and verifying carbon removals. Work is already underway in the Commission to develop a robust and transparent regulatory framework for certifying removals.
Pesticides reduction planned
One of the many objectives in the proposals is to significantly reduce pesticide use within the EU. The report claims the use of chemical pesticides in agriculture contributes to soil, water and air pollution, biodiversity loss and can harm non-target organisms. These concerns have long been targeted by the EU’s own registration process.
The Commission’s Harmonised Risk Indicator found a 20% decrease in risk from pesticide use in the past five years and the objective now is to reduce the overall use and risk of chemical pesticides by 50%. It does not state clearly that this represents a 50% reduction in pesticide use or give a time frame. However, it does state the need to decrease the use of more hazardous pesticides by 50% by 2030.
The report acknowledges the potential of gene technologies to play a part in reducing the need for pesticides
To help achieve these objectives whilst striving to maintain farmers’ incomes, the Commission is to revise the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive, enhance integrated pest management and promote greater use of ‘safe’ alternatives to protect harvests from pests and diseases. The environmental risk assessment of pesticides will be strengthened and products containing biological actives will be favoured.
The report acknowledges the potential of gene technologies to play a part in reducing the need for pesticides.
The length of the pesticide authorisation process by member states is to be reduced. No chemical pesticides are to be used in sensitive areas such as EU urban green areas.
There is to be increased focus on invasive species, plus reinforced vigilance on plant imports
A revision of marketing rules for traditional crop varieties is to be considered, as well as a focus on varieties for organic production.
There is to be increased focus on invasive species, plus reinforced vigilance on plant imports.
Nutrient Management
Action Plan
Pollution from nitrogen and phosphorus fertilisers is also targeted in this new plan. The main objective is to reduce nutrient losses by at least 50%, but this could mean a reduction of at least 20% in artificial fertiliser use to achieve this by 2030. However, it seems that the major objective is to decrease nutrient loss to the environment to help prevent pollution so farm practice may still have a part to play in this.
This move seems likely to challenge the use of the nitrates derogation in Ireland, but it may well go further
To help achieve this, the Commission will develop an Integrated Nutrient Management Action Plan in 2022. The objective will be to apply balanced fertilisation to achieve sustainable nutrient management. This move seems likely to challenge the use of the nitrates derogation in Ireland, but it may well go further.
The document states that soil fertility should not deteriorate during this process. But it makes no reference to the need to achieve optimum soil fertility or to the use of lime. It does reference the need for soil health and the need to improve the monitoring of soil quality.
The Commission and member states are to identify the nutrient load reductions needed to achieve these goals. The new integrated nutrient management action plan aims to address nutrient pollution at source to increase sustainability, especially for the livestock sector. Tools and techniques such as precision application of fertiliser, more sustainable practices in intensive livestock areas, and the recycling of organic waste into renewable fertilisers are to be promoted and driven by measures in the next CAP for individual member states.
The report proposes to focus on promoting sustainable food consumption, which would mean a shift to what it considers a healthy sustainable diet. It refers to the widely disputed EAT-Lancet report, which considers EU consumption of meat, sugars, salt and fats too high, while consumption of wholegrain cereals, fruit, vegetables, legumes and nuts to be too low.
In response, F2F is proposing that the EU will “only promote sustainable, carbon-efficient methods of livestock production” through the EU promotion programme for agricultural products. This had a €200m budget for 2020 and the Commission wants in F2F to “enhance its contribution to sustainable production and consumption” instead.
It will also “strictly assess” any proposals for coupled support in member state strategic plans submitted. The Commission also wants to target research into “alternative proteins such as plant, microbial, marine, insect based and meat substitutes” under the €10bn Horizon Europe fund proposed for the next CAP.
The report recognises that as the biggest importer and exporter of food in the world, the EU’s efforts to increase its sustainability standards have to be accompanied by policy that raises standards globally.
It recognises that “certain imported commodities have negative environmental and social impact in the countries where they are produced”.
To address this, the ambition of F2F is to pursue “green alliances on sustainable food systems with all trade partners”. There will be a sustainability chapter in all trade agreements to secure ambitious commitments on animal welfare, use of pesticides and the fight against antimicrobial resistance.
The Mercosur trade deal agreed in June last year included a chapter committing to the recommendations of the Paris accord on climate change
To achieve this and reduce the EU role in forest clearance, there will be a legislative proposal and other measures in 2021 to prevent or minimise the sale of products associated with deforestation on EU markets.
The Mercosur trade deal agreed in June last year included a chapter committing to the recommendations of the Paris accord on climate change. It required Brazil to commit to replanting 12m hectares of Amazon rainforest per year for the next decade. However, the opposite appears to be happening, with ongoing rainforest clearance in Brazil. Farmers will be looking for legislation that unambiguously aligns all standards for products imported to the EU with EU production standards.
Reduction in use
of antibiotics
F2F identifies antimicrobial resistance (AMR) caused by the “excessive and inappropriate use of antimicrobials in human and animal health care” as the cause of an estimated 33,000 deaths in the EU/EEA every year and substantial healthcare costs. The strategy sets a target for a 50% reduction in the use of antimicrobials in farming and aquaculture by 2030.
Better animal welfare is identified as a means of improving animal health and food quality
The new veterinary medicines regulation that will come into effect in January 2022 will contribute to delivery of this ambition as it restricts use of antibiotics in treatment of animals and will include reservation of some antimicrobials for exclusively human use.
Better animal welfare is identified as a means of improving animal health and food quality as well as reducing the need for veterinary medicine and the Commission will revise animal welfare legislation including transport and consider options for animal welfare labelling.
The Commission will require member states to designate additional areas in order to widen the network of protected areas across the EU.
In its biodiversity report, the Commission said the current network of legally protected areas, including those under strict protection, is not sufficiently large to safeguard biodiversity.
At least one-third of protected areas – representing 10% of EU land and 10% of EU sea – should be strictly protected.
All protected areas will need to have clearly defined conservation objectives and measures
“Strict protection does not necessarily mean the area is not accessible to humans, but leaves natural processes essentially undisturbed to respect the areas’ ecological requirements,” it said. “All protected areas will need to have clearly defined conservation objectives and measures.”
Ireland will have until the end of 2023 to show significant progress in legally designating new areas and to implement “ecological corridors” for species migration.
“To provide space for wild animals, plants, pollinators and natural pest regulators, there is an urgent need to bring back at least 10% of agricultural area under high-diversity landscape features,” according to the strategy.
These would include buffer strips, rotational or non-rotational fallow land, hedges, non-productive trees, terrace walls, or ponds.
At least 25% of
land to be organic
Under the EU biodiversity strategy, at least 25% of the EU’s agricultural land must be organically farmed by 2030. However, it does not elaborate on whether this is a per member state target or an EU-wide target.
“Organic farming also provides 10-20% more jobs per land area than conventional farms, and creates added value for agricultural products.” A Commission Action Plan on organic farming will set out how to make this happen, including through measures to increase demand.
At least 25,000km of rivers will be restored into free-flowing rivers by 2030
The plan says that greater efforts are needed to restore freshwater ecosystems and the natural functions of rivers.
“This can be done by removing or adjusting barriers that prevent the passage of migrating fish and improving the flow of water and sediments. To help make this a reality, at least 25,000km of rivers will be restored into free-flowing rivers by 2030 through the removal of primarily obsolete barriers and the restoration of floodplains and wetlands.”
Broadband for
all rural areas
by 2025
The European Commission wants to achieve 100% access to high-speed broadband by 2025 in all rural areas. It believes farmers need to be connected to fast and reliable internet to maximise the uptake of new technologies such as precision farming.
It aims to roll out high speed broadband to all businesses, farms and households in rural Ireland by 2026
The EU has a well-established network of satellites that the Commission wants to see utilised in the spreading of fertilisers and pesticides through GPS technology.
The strategy’s ambition could result in the acceleration of Ireland’s €3bn National Broadband Plan which was signed off on in 2019. It aims to roll out high speed broadband to all businesses, farms and households in rural Ireland by 2026.
‘Circular’ actions
to be promoted
The concept of a circular bio-based economy is promoted in the biodiversity plan. The report suggests that farmers should grasp opportunities to reduce methane emissions by investing in anaerobic digesters for biogas production.
It states they might also use farmhouses and sheds for solar panels and such investments should be prioritised.
The report indicates the Commission will speed up market adoption of sustainable energy efficient solutions
New ‘eco-schemes’ should offer a major stream of funding to boost more sustainable practices.
The report indicates the Commission will speed up market adoption of sustainable energy efficient solutions in the agriculture and food sectors. Bioenergy is to play a role in building a climate-neutral economy and the EU regulatory framework is to be brought into line with the European Green Deal.
But the strengthened sustainability criteria states that the use of whole trees and food and feed crops for energy production should be minimised.
September 2020: Commission to publish 2030 climate target plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50-55%.
2020: Action plan for organic sector.
2021: Food security observatory to be established.
2022: The Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive to be revised. Proposal on meat and milk origin labelling to be brought forward.
Mid-2023: Review of Farm to Fork strategy.
End 2023: Commission to propose legislation for sustainable food system. Revision of animal welfare legislation including on animal transport and slaughter. CAP reforms to come into force.
2025: 100% of rural areas to have access to high speed broadband.
2030: Pesticide use to be cut by 50%, fertiliser usage down by 20%, and antibiotic sales down 50%. At least 25% of agricultural land to be farmed organically.
The Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy published by the EU this week is the outline plan for agricultural production and trade in the EU during the remainder of this decade.
It will be agriculture’s part of the EU Green Deal, the theme of this Commission as announced by the President Ursula von der Leyen when the new Commission took over in December 2019. Its ambition is to make the EU carbon neutral by 2050, and F2F is how the agriculture sector will contribute to that.
Gerry Kiely, head of representation for the European Commission Representation in Ireland, says “addressing climate change is and will be a top EU priority for decades to come and agriculture will have an important role to play in dealing with it.
Today, too many see agriculture as part of the problem
“If everyone recognises this and engages constructively then it can be a win:win for both farmers and society. Today, too many see agriculture as part of the problem. This image must be changed by the sector itself to being seen as part of the solution.”
What is perhaps most striking about the F2F strategy for agriculture and farming in the EU is that it isn’t being led by the Commissioner for Agriculture, but by the Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakidou.
Launching the report on Wednesday, she said the strategy would influence how “we produce, buy and consume our food”.
A Commission official said it was moving ahead with the current reform
She stressed the COVID-19 crisis underlined the need to move forward with plans for a more sustainable food supply chain.
Many of the changes will be influenced through the CAP. A Commission official said it was moving ahead with the current reform but that the Farm to Fork strategy would heavily influence the actions countries included in their CAP strategic plans.
Farmers to be paid to
remove carbon
A major plank of the Farm to Fork strategy will be to develop ways that farmers can be paid for sequestering carbon. It recognises that agriculture, unlike any other sector, has the ability to suck carbon out of the atmosphere.
Soils, grassland, trees and hedgerows can all play an important role and the Commission wants to incentivise farming practices that remove carbon. Doing so would provide a new income stream for farmers.
Under the next CAP, farmers could be paid for the removal of carbon
It sees the money coming from two places – the CAP and private industry.
Under the next CAP, farmers could be paid for the removal of carbon. These payments will most likely come through eco-schemes, which will replace Greening.
The EU wants to ringfence a portion of the direct payment budget, likely to be in the region of 30% to 40%, for eco-schemes.
Secondly, the Commission wants to develop a carbon sink market whereby companies emitting carbon in other sectors could pay farmers to sequester it, thereby offsetting them. This would provide additional income for farmers on top of CAP payments.
The first step in achieving the radical shift towards carbon farming is the development of a reliable system for monitoring and verifying carbon removals. Work is already underway in the Commission to develop a robust and transparent regulatory framework for certifying removals.
Pesticides reduction planned
One of the many objectives in the proposals is to significantly reduce pesticide use within the EU. The report claims the use of chemical pesticides in agriculture contributes to soil, water and air pollution, biodiversity loss and can harm non-target organisms. These concerns have long been targeted by the EU’s own registration process.
The Commission’s Harmonised Risk Indicator found a 20% decrease in risk from pesticide use in the past five years and the objective now is to reduce the overall use and risk of chemical pesticides by 50%. It does not state clearly that this represents a 50% reduction in pesticide use or give a time frame. However, it does state the need to decrease the use of more hazardous pesticides by 50% by 2030.
The report acknowledges the potential of gene technologies to play a part in reducing the need for pesticides
To help achieve these objectives whilst striving to maintain farmers’ incomes, the Commission is to revise the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive, enhance integrated pest management and promote greater use of ‘safe’ alternatives to protect harvests from pests and diseases. The environmental risk assessment of pesticides will be strengthened and products containing biological actives will be favoured.
The report acknowledges the potential of gene technologies to play a part in reducing the need for pesticides.
The length of the pesticide authorisation process by member states is to be reduced. No chemical pesticides are to be used in sensitive areas such as EU urban green areas.
There is to be increased focus on invasive species, plus reinforced vigilance on plant imports
A revision of marketing rules for traditional crop varieties is to be considered, as well as a focus on varieties for organic production.
There is to be increased focus on invasive species, plus reinforced vigilance on plant imports.
Nutrient Management
Action Plan
Pollution from nitrogen and phosphorus fertilisers is also targeted in this new plan. The main objective is to reduce nutrient losses by at least 50%, but this could mean a reduction of at least 20% in artificial fertiliser use to achieve this by 2030. However, it seems that the major objective is to decrease nutrient loss to the environment to help prevent pollution so farm practice may still have a part to play in this.
This move seems likely to challenge the use of the nitrates derogation in Ireland, but it may well go further
To help achieve this, the Commission will develop an Integrated Nutrient Management Action Plan in 2022. The objective will be to apply balanced fertilisation to achieve sustainable nutrient management. This move seems likely to challenge the use of the nitrates derogation in Ireland, but it may well go further.
The document states that soil fertility should not deteriorate during this process. But it makes no reference to the need to achieve optimum soil fertility or to the use of lime. It does reference the need for soil health and the need to improve the monitoring of soil quality.
The Commission and member states are to identify the nutrient load reductions needed to achieve these goals. The new integrated nutrient management action plan aims to address nutrient pollution at source to increase sustainability, especially for the livestock sector. Tools and techniques such as precision application of fertiliser, more sustainable practices in intensive livestock areas, and the recycling of organic waste into renewable fertilisers are to be promoted and driven by measures in the next CAP for individual member states.
The report proposes to focus on promoting sustainable food consumption, which would mean a shift to what it considers a healthy sustainable diet. It refers to the widely disputed EAT-Lancet report, which considers EU consumption of meat, sugars, salt and fats too high, while consumption of wholegrain cereals, fruit, vegetables, legumes and nuts to be too low.
In response, F2F is proposing that the EU will “only promote sustainable, carbon-efficient methods of livestock production” through the EU promotion programme for agricultural products. This had a €200m budget for 2020 and the Commission wants in F2F to “enhance its contribution to sustainable production and consumption” instead.
It will also “strictly assess” any proposals for coupled support in member state strategic plans submitted. The Commission also wants to target research into “alternative proteins such as plant, microbial, marine, insect based and meat substitutes” under the €10bn Horizon Europe fund proposed for the next CAP.
The report recognises that as the biggest importer and exporter of food in the world, the EU’s efforts to increase its sustainability standards have to be accompanied by policy that raises standards globally.
It recognises that “certain imported commodities have negative environmental and social impact in the countries where they are produced”.
To address this, the ambition of F2F is to pursue “green alliances on sustainable food systems with all trade partners”. There will be a sustainability chapter in all trade agreements to secure ambitious commitments on animal welfare, use of pesticides and the fight against antimicrobial resistance.
The Mercosur trade deal agreed in June last year included a chapter committing to the recommendations of the Paris accord on climate change
To achieve this and reduce the EU role in forest clearance, there will be a legislative proposal and other measures in 2021 to prevent or minimise the sale of products associated with deforestation on EU markets.
The Mercosur trade deal agreed in June last year included a chapter committing to the recommendations of the Paris accord on climate change. It required Brazil to commit to replanting 12m hectares of Amazon rainforest per year for the next decade. However, the opposite appears to be happening, with ongoing rainforest clearance in Brazil. Farmers will be looking for legislation that unambiguously aligns all standards for products imported to the EU with EU production standards.
Reduction in use
of antibiotics
F2F identifies antimicrobial resistance (AMR) caused by the “excessive and inappropriate use of antimicrobials in human and animal health care” as the cause of an estimated 33,000 deaths in the EU/EEA every year and substantial healthcare costs. The strategy sets a target for a 50% reduction in the use of antimicrobials in farming and aquaculture by 2030.
Better animal welfare is identified as a means of improving animal health and food quality
The new veterinary medicines regulation that will come into effect in January 2022 will contribute to delivery of this ambition as it restricts use of antibiotics in treatment of animals and will include reservation of some antimicrobials for exclusively human use.
Better animal welfare is identified as a means of improving animal health and food quality as well as reducing the need for veterinary medicine and the Commission will revise animal welfare legislation including transport and consider options for animal welfare labelling.
The Commission will require member states to designate additional areas in order to widen the network of protected areas across the EU.
In its biodiversity report, the Commission said the current network of legally protected areas, including those under strict protection, is not sufficiently large to safeguard biodiversity.
At least one-third of protected areas – representing 10% of EU land and 10% of EU sea – should be strictly protected.
All protected areas will need to have clearly defined conservation objectives and measures
“Strict protection does not necessarily mean the area is not accessible to humans, but leaves natural processes essentially undisturbed to respect the areas’ ecological requirements,” it said. “All protected areas will need to have clearly defined conservation objectives and measures.”
Ireland will have until the end of 2023 to show significant progress in legally designating new areas and to implement “ecological corridors” for species migration.
“To provide space for wild animals, plants, pollinators and natural pest regulators, there is an urgent need to bring back at least 10% of agricultural area under high-diversity landscape features,” according to the strategy.
These would include buffer strips, rotational or non-rotational fallow land, hedges, non-productive trees, terrace walls, or ponds.
At least 25% of
land to be organic
Under the EU biodiversity strategy, at least 25% of the EU’s agricultural land must be organically farmed by 2030. However, it does not elaborate on whether this is a per member state target or an EU-wide target.
“Organic farming also provides 10-20% more jobs per land area than conventional farms, and creates added value for agricultural products.” A Commission Action Plan on organic farming will set out how to make this happen, including through measures to increase demand.
At least 25,000km of rivers will be restored into free-flowing rivers by 2030
The plan says that greater efforts are needed to restore freshwater ecosystems and the natural functions of rivers.
“This can be done by removing or adjusting barriers that prevent the passage of migrating fish and improving the flow of water and sediments. To help make this a reality, at least 25,000km of rivers will be restored into free-flowing rivers by 2030 through the removal of primarily obsolete barriers and the restoration of floodplains and wetlands.”
Broadband for
all rural areas
by 2025
The European Commission wants to achieve 100% access to high-speed broadband by 2025 in all rural areas. It believes farmers need to be connected to fast and reliable internet to maximise the uptake of new technologies such as precision farming.
It aims to roll out high speed broadband to all businesses, farms and households in rural Ireland by 2026
The EU has a well-established network of satellites that the Commission wants to see utilised in the spreading of fertilisers and pesticides through GPS technology.
The strategy’s ambition could result in the acceleration of Ireland’s €3bn National Broadband Plan which was signed off on in 2019. It aims to roll out high speed broadband to all businesses, farms and households in rural Ireland by 2026.
‘Circular’ actions
to be promoted
The concept of a circular bio-based economy is promoted in the biodiversity plan. The report suggests that farmers should grasp opportunities to reduce methane emissions by investing in anaerobic digesters for biogas production.
It states they might also use farmhouses and sheds for solar panels and such investments should be prioritised.
The report indicates the Commission will speed up market adoption of sustainable energy efficient solutions
New ‘eco-schemes’ should offer a major stream of funding to boost more sustainable practices.
The report indicates the Commission will speed up market adoption of sustainable energy efficient solutions in the agriculture and food sectors. Bioenergy is to play a role in building a climate-neutral economy and the EU regulatory framework is to be brought into line with the European Green Deal.
But the strengthened sustainability criteria states that the use of whole trees and food and feed crops for energy production should be minimised.
September 2020: Commission to publish 2030 climate target plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50-55%.
2020: Action plan for organic sector.
2021: Food security observatory to be established.
2022: The Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive to be revised. Proposal on meat and milk origin labelling to be brought forward.
Mid-2023: Review of Farm to Fork strategy.
End 2023: Commission to propose legislation for sustainable food system. Revision of animal welfare legislation including on animal transport and slaughter. CAP reforms to come into force.
2025: 100% of rural areas to have access to high speed broadband.
2030: Pesticide use to be cut by 50%, fertiliser usage down by 20%, and antibiotic sales down 50%. At least 25% of agricultural land to be farmed organically.
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