Euroopa Majandus- ja Sotsiaalkomitee
Toit on meie elu keskmes ja Euroopa kultuuri lahutamatu osa. Toidul, mida me sööme, selle tootmise viisil ja raisatud toidu kogustel on suur mõju inimeste tervisele, loodusvaradele ja ühiskonnale tervikuna:
COVID-19 kriis on häirekell, mis annab märku muutuste vajadusest. See on esile toonud, et toidu jõudmist talust taldrikule ei tohi võtta enesestmõistetavana, ning on näidanud osalejate ja tegevuse omavahelist seotust kogu toidusüsteemis. Rohkem kui kunagi varem on kogu põllumajanduse ja toiduainesektoris vaja õiglasi, ressursitõhusaid, kaasavaid ja kestlikke tarneahelaid, et varustada ühtviisi nii inimesi, põllumajandustootjaid, töötajaid kui ka ettevõtteid.
Komitee on juba aastaid olnud kestliku ja tervikliku toidupoliitika nõudmisel esirinnas. Selline integreeritud ja süsteemne lähenemisviis on oluline, et lahendada toidusüsteeme mõjutavad arvukad ja omavahel seotud probleemid, tagada majanduslik, keskkonnaalane ja sotsiaalkultuuriline jätkusuutlikkus, kindlustada poliitikavaldkondade (nt põllumajandus, keskkond, tervishoid, haridus, kaubandus, majandus ja tehnoloogia) integreeritus ja sidusus ning edendada valitsemistasandite koostööd.
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.
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.
The Commission is proposing a targeted revision of the General Food Law Regulation coupled with the revision of eight pieces of sectoral legislation, to bring them in line with the general rules and strengthen transparency in the area of GMOs, feed additives, smoke flavourings, food contact materials, food additives, food enzymes and flavourings, plant protection products and novel foods.
The Commission's initiative follows one of the recommendations of the Agricultural Markets Task Force that the EU should legislate in the areas of UTPs for agricultural products, and responds to some of the conclusions of the 2016 EESC opinion on "A fairer food supply chain".
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - The Future of Food and Farming
The own-initiative opinion, prepared by the EESC Permanent Study Group on Sustainable Food Systems, will aim to identify existing challenges, policy inconsistencies and obstacles to a more coherent food policy approach at EU level; to provide examples of ongoing transitions to more sustainable food policies at local/regional/national level; to highlight the role of civil society in building partnerships among stakeholders across the food supply chain; and to define how a comprehensive food policy for the EU should look, including an indicative roadmap.