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

  • Adopted on 19/01/2022 - Bureau decision date: 23/09/2021
    Reference
    NAT/844-EESC-2021
    Employers - GR I
    France
    Workers - GR II
    Germany
    EESC opinion: Food security and sustainable food systems
  • Adopted on 08/12/2021 - Bureau decision date: 25/03/2021
    Reference
    NAT/821-EESC-2021
    Civil Society Organisations - GR III
    Austria
    Workers - GR II
    Germany

    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)
  • Adopted on 20/10/2021 - Bureau decision date: 25/03/2021
    Reference
    NAT/822-EESC-2021
    Civil Society Organisations - GR III
    Netherlands
    EESC opinion: Strategic autonomy and food security and sustainability (own-initiative opinion)
  • Adopted on 22/09/2021 - Bureau decision date: 19/03/2021
    Reference
    NAT/823-EESC-2021
    Civil Society Organisations - GR III
    Slovenia
    Workers - GR II
    Germany

    The upcoming Slovenian Presidency of the EU has requested the Committee to draw up an exploratory opinion on the effective achievement of the Directive’s objectives in practice, on Member States’ best practices in regulating the agri-food chain, as well as on the steps needed so that this process does not come to a halt.

    EESC opinion: Towards a Fair Food Supply Chain
  • Adopted on 22/09/2021 - Bureau decision date: 23/02/2021
    Reference
    NAT/818-EESC-2021
    Civil Society Organisations - GR III
    Austria
    EESC opinion: Action Plan for the development of EU organic production
  • Adopted on 27/04/2021
    Reference
    NAT/809-EESC-2021-01-01-00521
    Workers - GR II
    Bulgaria
    EESC opinion: How to implement harmonisation of market entry for food supplements in the EU
  • Adopted on 27/04/2021 - Bureau decision date: 28/10/2020
    Reference
    NAT/805-EESC-2020
    Civil Society Organisations - GR III
    Spain

    The SUD can play a central role in the European Green Deal framework, being crucial to the Commission's Farm-to-Fork strategy for shifting to a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food system, and complementary to both the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and the Zero Pollution Strategy.

    Information report: Evaluation on Directive on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides (Information report)
  • Adopted on 18/09/2020 - Bureau decision date: 18/02/2020
    Reference
    NAT/787-EESC-2020-994
    Workers - GR II
    Germany
    Civil Society Organisations - GR III
    Czech Republic
    EESC opinion: "From farm to fork": a sustainable food strategy
  • Adopted on 17/07/2019 - Bureau decision date: 24/01/2019
    Reference
    NAT/763-EESC-2019-01463
    (France
    EESC opinion: Promoting short and alternative food supply chains in the EU: the role of agroecology (own-initiative opinion)
  • Adopted on 20/02/2019 - Bureau decision date: 12/07/2018
    Reference
    NAT/755-EESC-2018-04568
    Workers - GR II
    Germany

    The own-initiative opinion aims to analyse the link between current food systems and diet-related diseases;  identify policies, tools and instruments that are needed to foster healthier diets both on the supply and demand side.

    EESC opinion: Promoting healthy and sustainable diets in the EU (own-initiative opinion)