Coiste Eacnamaíoch agus Sóisialta na hEorpa
Ní fhéadfaimis maireachtáil gan bhia agus is cuid lárnach de chultúr na hEorpa é. Mar sin féin, tá tionchar mór ag an mbia a ithimid, na bealaí ina dtáirgtear é agus an méid a chuirtear amú ar shláinte an duine, ar acmhainní nádúrtha agus ar an tsochaí ina hiomláine:
Gairm chun gnímh agus chun athruithe a dhéanamh is ea géarchéim COVID-19. Léiríodh ón bpaindéim nach féidir talamh slán a dhéanamh de bhia a fháil ‘ón bhfeirm go dtí an forc’ agus léiríodh idirnascthacht na ngníomhaithe agus na ngníomhaíochtaí ar fud an chórais bhia. Tá slabhraí soláthair atá cothrom, tíosach ar acmhainní, cuimsitheach agus inbhuanaithe de dhíth níos mó ná riamh in earnáil iomlán na talmhaíochta agus an bhia chun go bhfreastalófar go cothrom ar leas na saoránach, na bhfeirmeoirí, na n-oibrithe agus na ngnólachtaí.
Tá CESE ar thús cadhnaíochta le blianta beaga anuas maidir le beartas bia inbhuanaithe agus cuimsitheach a iarraidh. Tá cur chuige comhtháite sistéamach den sórt sin bunriachtanach chun dul i ngleic leis na dúshláin iomadúla idirnasctha a mbíonn tionchar acu ar chórais bhia; chun inbhuanaitheacht eacnamaíoch, comhshaoil agus shoch-chultúrtha a bhaint amach; chun comhtháthú agus comhleanúnachas a áirithiú ar fud réimsí beartais (amhail talmhaíocht, comhshaol, sláinte, oideachas, trádáil, geilleagar, teicneolaíocht, etc.); agus chun comhar a chur chun cinn ar fud na leibhéal rialachais.
With Europe slowly getting back on track after the COVID-19 crisis, it is high time to move from words to action and implement the Farm to Fork strategy. The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) strongly advocates supporting the transformation of Europe's food systems so that they are more environmentally, economically and socially sustainable, and notes that consumers have a key role to play in this context.
On 22 June, the EESC will host an online public hearing to explore the state of progress of the EU on the path to more sustainable, fairer and inclusive food systems, following the new actions agreed upon during the UN Food System summit in 2021.
This is an in-person conference that will be live streamed. Registration for in-person participation is required.
On Friday, 14 April 2023, the NAT Section is organising a public hearing "Towards a European Food Policy Council / Sustainable Food System" to feed into the own-initiative opinion NAT/892- Towards a European Food Policy Council as a new governance model in the future EU Framework on Sustainable Food Systems in order to compile the views of the civil society organisations working on these issues.
On Thursday, 23 March 2023, the NAT Section is organising a public expert event "What next for European action on childhood obesity?" to feed into the exploratory opinion requested by the upcoming Spanish Presidency to the Council of the European Union.
The EESC will host the third EU Youth Round Table on Wednesday 30 November, 14:30-16:00 CET. Janusz Wojciechowski, Commissioner for Agriculture, will participate in the event and will engage with the youth representatives on the topic: food security and sustainable food systems.
This thematic debate aims to discuss the impacts of the war on food security worldwide, with a focus on some specific world regions; further actions that will be needed to ensure food security while fostering resilient and sustainable food systems and the role civil society can play in ensuring food security both in Europe and beyond.
The aim of the conference is to look at how the European Union can be more active in this area, especially through better cooperation among the key stakeholders. The conference will take place in a hybrid format.
The event will take place both in Brussels and in Ljubljana in hybrid form. Registration for external participants will be open on this page until 25 November 2021.
The webinar will take place in the context of the EESC Thematic Study Group on Sustainable Food Systems, in cooperation with the EESC INT Section and will explore amongst other questions, how to better align food industry with the SDGs and stimulate sustainable food production, processing, and distribution across the chain.
