The European Commission has presented a long-term vision (until 2040) for the European Union’s (EU) agriculture and food policy. The document highlights the strategic importance of the agri-food sector for Europe’s food security and proposes measures to strengthen farmers’ profitability, facilitate generational renewal, and reward ecosystem services. It also includes a transition to a low-carbon economy, promoting the use of biopesticides and biotechnology, and recognizes that agriculture is “part of the solution, not the problem” regarding carbon emissions.
A core element of the European proposal is the creation of a fair environment for producers within the bloc, preventing unfair practices that force them to sell below cost and ensuring that environmental and animal welfare standards apply equally to both imports and domestic production. To achieve this, the EU plans to establish an enforcement group to strengthen import controls, emphasizing the need for reciprocal standards. This has drawn criticism from trade experts, who warn of potential food inflation and long-term food security risks if restrictive measures limit imports.
The plan also calls for the introduction of a “on-farm sustainability compass” system so that each farm can evaluate its environmental performance, promote an annual food dialogue, and optimize resource usage by reducing waste. The new protein strategy seeks to bridge the EU’s protein gap by encouraging domestic production of protein-rich crops and supporting the use of plant-based, microbial, and even insect or algae-based proteins.
European farmer organizations have welcomed this vision, praising its “pragmatic restructuring” and the high priority given to agriculture. However, they note a lack of clarity on future funding, especially under the budget framework of the Common Agricultural Policy.
