Kumitat Ekonomiku u Socjali Ewropew
L-ikel huwa fiċ-ċentru ta’ ħajjitna u parti integrali mill-kultura Ewropea. Madankollu, l-ikel li nieklu, il-modi kif nipproduċuh u l-ammonti moħlija għandhom impatti kbar fuq is-saħħa tal-bniedem, ir-riżorsi naturali u s-soċjetà kollha kemm hi:
Il-kriżi tal-COVID-19 hija sinjal ta’ twissija li hija meħtieġa bidla. Il-kriżi wriet li l-kisba tal-ikel “mill-għalqa sal-platt” ma tistax titqies bħala ħaġa ovvja u wriet ukoll l-interkonnettività tal-atturi u tal-attivitajiet tul is-sistema tal-ikel kollha. Ktajjen tal-provvista ġusti, effiċjenti fl-użu tar-riżorsi, inklużivi u sostenibbli fis-settur agrikolu u tal-ikel kollu huma meħtieġa aktar minn qatt qabel biex iwasslu servizzi b’mod ugwali liċ-ċittadini, lill-bdiewa, lill-ħaddiema u lin-negozji.
Il-KESE ilu snin fuq quddiem nett fis-sejħa għal politika dwar l-ikel sostenibbli u komprensiva. Approċċ integrat u sistemiku bħal dan huwa essenzjali biex jiindirizza l-isfidi multipli u interkonnessi li jaffettwaw is-sistemi tal-ikel; iwassal għal sostenibbiltà ekonomika, ambjentali u soċjokulturali; jiżgura l-integrazzjoni u l-koerenza bejn l-oqsma ta’ politika (bħall-agrikoltura, l-ambjent, is-saħħa, l-edukazzjoni, il-kummerċ, l-ekonomija, it-teknoloġija, eċċ.); u jippromovi l-kooperazzjoni fil-livelli kollha ta’ governanza.
Fair prices for both farmers and consumers and truthful and transparent information are essential if the primary sector and consumers are to play their key role in guaranteeing strategic autonomy in European food production. This sovereignty must be in line with the European Green Deal's Farm to Fork strategy, which requires an adjustment of current food policies.
Inaugural speech by Séamus Boland, President of the Civil Society Organisations' Group of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
Conference on 'EU food sovereignty: the role of agriculture, fisheries and consumers', Santiago de Compostela, Spain, 26 September 2023
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.
