Evropský hospodářský a sociální výbor
Potraviny jsou středobodem našich životů a nedílnou součástí evropské kultury. Potraviny, které jíme, způsoby, jimiž je vyrábíme, a množství, které vyplýtváme, mají výrazný dopad na zdraví lidí, přírodní zdroje a celou společnost:
Krize COVID-19 je varovným signálem, že nastal čas na změnu. Je důkazem toho, že nelze považovat za samozřejmost, že se potraviny dostanou „od zemědělce ke spotřebiteli“, a ukázala na vzájemnou provázanost různých subjektů a činností v celém potravinovém systému. Více než kdy jindy jsou ke stejnoměrnému uspokojení potřeb občanů, zemědělců, pracovníků a podniků zapotřebí spravedlivé, inkluzivní a udržitelné dodavatelské řetězce účinně využívající zdroje v celém zemědělském a potravinářském odvětví.
EHSV již řadu let patří k těm, kteří nejčastěji vyzývají k vypracování udržitelné a komplexní politiky v oblasti potravin. Tento integrovaný a systémový přístup je nutný k řešení četných a vzájemně propojených výzev, které mají dopad na potravinové systémy, k zajištění hospodářské, environmentální a sociálně-kulturní udržitelnosti, k zajištění integrace a soudržnosti napříč oblastmi politiky (jako je zemědělství, životní prostředí, zdravotnictví, vzdělávání, obchod, hospodářství, technologie atd.) a k podpoře spolupráce mezi jednotlivými úrovněmi veřejné správy.
At the request of the French Presidency of the Council of the EU, in the opinion on Food security and sustainable food systems adopted at its plenary session on 19 January 2022, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) identified the key levers for sustainable and competitive EU food production and for reducing dependence on imports while increasing the EU's protein autonomy.
Strengthening local and regional food production and processing within the EU and guaranteeing decent working conditions for all workers in agriculture and the wider food sector are important objectives in seeking to improve the sustainability of the European food supply chain. Other aspects of key importance to sustainability are fair international trading practices, encouraging more women and young people into the farming sector, and structured stakeholder involvement and dialogue.
Extraordinary meeting of the Diversity Europe Group in the context of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU and the Conference on the Future of Europe on 29 November 2021
Recent events caused by COVID-19, extreme weather due to climate disruption, cyber-attacks and Brexit demonstrate the need to rethink priorities and improve the resilience and sustainability of EU food systems by reinforcing its autonomy. Food security is not a given for many EU citizens.
On World Sustainable Gastronomy Day, the EESC stresses the importance of setting the sustainability bar high on how the world should aspire to feed itself in the coming decades. It is critical to take into account where ingredients come from, how food is grown and how it gets from farms to our forks, and to carry out the urgent transformations needed to achieve more sustainable food systems. All citizens and stakeholders across all food chains, in the EU and elsewhere, should benefit from a just and inclusive transition, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic downturn.
A statement by Andreas Thurner, newly elected president of the Thematic Group on Sustainable Food Systems, on sustainable, healthy, inclusive and fair food systems and the specific priorities for his mandate.
In 2021, UN Secretary-General António Guterres will convene a Food Systems Summit as part of the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The Summit will focus on the the fact that we all must work together to transform the way the world produces, consumes and thinks about food.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) adopted the opinion From Farm to Fork: a sustainable food strategy at its September Plenary session, following the European Commission's communication on the Farm to Fork Strategy - for a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system. As an integral part of the European Green Deal, this is the first EU strategy claiming to encompass the entirety of the food chain.
In light of the two newly adopted strategies of the European Commission on Biodiversity and Sustainable Food, we have put together some relevant infographics that illustrate the aim of these strategies.
The EESC suggests increasing focus on sustainable, healthy diets for 2020
The Christmas festivities are over, and now it is time for many Europeans to rethink their diets and beware of obesity. The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) takes the beginning of a new year and decade as an opportunity to remind us that obesity is the cause of many diseases, and affirms its support for EU initiatives that accelerate a shift towards healthier, more sustainable diets for citizens.
