Food sustainability

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Food is at the centre of our lives and an integral part of the European culture. However, the food we eat, the ways we produce it and the amounts wasted have major impacts on human health, natural resources and society as a whole:

  • Citizens –and children in particular– are increasingly suffering from overweight and obesity due to unhealthy diets.
  • Farmers and workers do not get a fair price for their produce.
  • One third of food is lost or wasted across the food chain.
  • The environment is paying the bill with the dramatic effects of food production and consumption on climate change, loss of biodiversity, air and water pollution, soil degradation, etc.

The COVID-19 crisis is a wake-up call for change. It has demonstrated that getting food "from farm to fork" cannot be taken for granted and has shown the interconnectedness of actors and activities throughout the food system. Fair, resource efficient, inclusive and sustainable supply chains in the whole agriculture and food sector are needed more than ever to deliver equally for citizens, farmers, workers and business.

The EESC has been for years at the forefront of calling for a sustainable and comprehensive food policy. Such an integrated and systemic approach is essential to tackle the multiple and interconnected challenges affecting food systems; to deliver economic, environmental and socio-cultural sustainability; to ensure integration and coherence across policy areas (such as agriculture, environment, health, education, trade, economy, technology, etc.); and to promote cooperation across levels of governance

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Opinion
Ongoing (updated on 09/06/2023)
Reference: 
NAT/892-EESC-2023
Plenary session: 
579 -
Jun 14, 2023 Jun 15, 2023

EESC section opinion: Towards a European Food Policy Council as a new governance model in the future EU Framework on Sustainable Food Systems

Opinion
Ongoing (updated on 29/03/2023)
Reference: 
NAT/890-EESC
Plenary session: 
580 -
Jul 12, 2023 Jul 13, 2023

This exploratory opinion will be an opportunity to follow up on the EESC work on sustainable food systems, address the causes of obesity as the social determinant of health and provide recommendations for promoting healthier and sustainable diets, healthy lifestyle habits and protection of vulnerable children to feed into the work of the Spanish presidency.

Opinion
Adopted on 14/12/2022
Reference: 
NAT/873-EESC-2022
Plenary session: 
574 -
Dec 14, 2022 Dec 15, 2022

Considering the extent of the food security crisis and the urgency to address the issue of excessive commodity speculation, the aim of this own-initiative opinion is to analyse the current situation in more detail; gather experts' views on the impacts of commodity speculation on food price increases and food security worldwide; and provide civil society's recommendations on policy measures that are needed to address excessive price speculation and increase market transparency.

EESC opinion: Food price crisis: the role of speculation and concrete proposals for action in the aftermath of the Ukraine war

Opinion
Adopted on 08/12/2021
Reference: 
NAT/821-EESC-2021

The own-initiative opinion aims to contribute to the Farm to Fork Strategy objective to stimulate sustainable food processing, wholesale, retail, hospitality and food services practices by providing the views and experience from organised civil society and stakeholders from across the food supply chain and by highlighting producers' good practices to increase the availability and affordability of healthy, sustainable food options. 

EESC opinion: Aligning food business strategies and operations with the SDGs for a sustainable post-COVID-19 recovery (own-initiative opinion)

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