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
Trajnostna preskrba s hrano
Hrana je v središču našega življenja in sestavni del evropske kulture. Vendar pa hrana, ki jo uživamo, načini njene proizvodnje in količine, ki jih zavržemo, močno vplivajo na zdravje ljudi, naravne vire in družbo kot celoto:
- Državljani, zlasti otroci, vse bolj trpijo zaradi prekomerne telesne teže in debelosti, katerih vzrok je nezdrava prehrana.
- Kmetje in delavci ne prejemajo poštenega plačila za svoje pridelke.
- Tretjina hrane v prehranski verigi se izgubi ali zavrže.
- Ceno za to plačuje okolje, saj proizvodnja in poraba hrane dramatično vplivata na podnebne spremembe, izgubo biotske raznovrstnosti, onesnaževanje zraka in vode, degradacijo tal itd.
Kriza, povezana s pandemijo COVID-19, je jasen znak, da so potrebne spremembe. Med krizo je postalo očitno, da prenos hrane od vil do vilic ne sme veljati za samoumevnega, pokazala pa se je tudi medsebojna povezanost akterjev in dejavnosti v celotnem prehranskem sistemu. Pravične, vključujoče in trajnostne verige preskrbe s hrano, ki učinkovito izkoriščajo vire, v celotnem kmetijskem in živilskem sektorju so potrebne bolj kot kadar koli prej, da bi enako koristile državljanom, kmetom, delavcem in poslovanju.
EESO je že več let med glavnimi zagovorniki trajnostne in celovite prehranske politike v EU. Tak povezan in sistemski pristop je bistven za reševanje številnih in medsebojno povezanih izzivov, ki vplivajo na prehranske sisteme, omogočanje gospodarske, okoljske in družbeno-kulturne trajnosti, zagotavljanje povezovanja in skladnosti med področji politik (kot so kmetijstvo, okolje, zdravje, izobraževanje, trgovina, gospodarstvo, tehnologija itd.) ter spodbujanje sodelovanja na vseh ravneh upravljanja.
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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.
In light of the two newly adopted strategies of the European Commission on Biodiversity and Sustainable Food, we have put together some relevant infographics that illustrate the aim of these strategies.
The EESC suggests increasing focus on sustainable, healthy diets for 2020
The Christmas festivities are over, and now it is time for many Europeans to rethink their diets and beware of obesity. The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) takes the beginning of a new year and decade as an opportunity to remind us that obesity is the cause of many diseases, and affirms its support for EU initiatives that accelerate a shift towards healthier, more sustainable diets for citizens.
How to link sustainable food procurement with strategic policies or climate change actions? How to overcome public procurement issues related to purchasing "local & regional food"? If 1€ invested in sustainable school meals brings up to 6€ in social return in investment imagine the impact of sustainable school meals all across Europe! ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability in partnership with the Committee of the Regions and the Organic Cities Network Europe invite you to the 30th edition of Breakfast at Sustainability.
EESC puts forward proposal to increase their contributions. The bioeconomy is a crucial factor in fighting climate change, responding to the growing food demand and boosting rural areas. In its opinion on the Updating of the Bioeconomy Strategy, adopted at its plenary session of 15 May, the EESC calls for better support for SMEs in the form of advice and access to finance