Open Letter to the European Commission following the conclusions of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of Agriculture

EIT Food welcomes the publication of the report concluding the efforts by the members of the Strategic Dialogue on Agriculture. The publication of this report marks a pivotal moment, offering the opportunity for public policy to be shaped by the insights of key food system stakeholders, and for the European Commission to champion inclusive innovation and collaboration across Europe’s food system.

In October 2023, the EIT Food community put forward seven recommendations for the transformation of the European food system. We are pleased to see that several of our recommendations are reflected in the report, including developing a dedicated financial instrument for upskilling farmers, creating ‘living labs’, increasing the use of public-private partnerships, and improving data-sharing and gathering to facilitate decisions by market and public actors.

The report proposes reforming the cornerstone of the European agricultural regulatory framework – the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) – and creating other instruments ranging from dedicated funds to potential minimum pricing schemes. These proposed changes, if taken up by the Commission, would amount to nudging the existing model through optional financial and regulatory incentives – which may be insufficient due to lack of funding or implementation capacity – towards practices which are more sustainable.

The current model of our agrifood system is unsustainable. According to the European Commission’s own estimates, the cost of inaction in terms of soil degradation amounts to €50 billion per year, far exceeding the expected cost of the transition to sustainable agriculture. With decreasing yields, the general degradation of soil health, and increased costs of conventional agricultural inputs, the current model is not only environmentally unsustainable – it is not fit for the future. Any additional delays in launching the transition will only increase costs, and introduce risks that could compromise the competitive advantage market leaders have in pioneering technological development.

Chair of the Strategic Dialogue, Professor Strohschneider, has stated, “Business as usual, be it economic, social or environmental, is not an option.” Rather, bold action is needed, which cannot focus solely on tinkering with public procurement rules or changing how income support is targeted and disbursed. Collectively, we must move past the current yield-focused system, with its emphasis on ever-increasing production, to a new paradigm that puts health, resilience, and sustainability at the core of the agrifood system. Rather than looking at individual solutions in siloes, we must challenge ourselves to propose a new, bold, and holistic food system approach.

This is why we are calling for an invitation to participate in the critically important post-report dialogue. For seven years, EIT Food has built major alliances to trial and test a wide range of solutions to make our food systems more resilient, sustainable and healthy for the whole supply chain, from farmers to consumers. We believe it is now time for the Commission to make use of a dedicated, specialised Partnership that works day in and day out to turn the findings of this report into action. We urge them to actively step in and engage with our community – the largest and most ambitious in the world.

Without introducing a sustainable food systems framework law to mainstream climate, nutrition and health across all aspects of agrifood policy; without using market and policy instruments to foster an enabling environment for consumers to transition to healthier and more sustainable diets; and without fully embracing all innovative practices to unleash a new agricultural model, no package of actions will be sufficient. The EU is already an innovation powerhouse, and we need to leverage our innovation potential for the transition to a new paradigm.

Moving forward, the Commission intends to present its own Vision for Agriculture and Food within one hundred days of taking office, which will begin to shape crucial debates around the reform of the post-2027 CAP and the future of the Farm to Fork Strategy. This is an opportunity that cannot be missed. The CAP is, after all, the core element in EU agrifood policy and the largest single item in the EU’s seven-year budget, uniquely positioning it as a tool to push for systemic change.

For this reason, at EIT Food, we want to use the opportunity offered by this report and the coming CAP reform to call on policymakers to take bold and swift action to accomplish the goal of a resilient, secure and sustainable food system, that will give all Europeans access to high-quality, nutritious and affordable food.

About EIT Food

EIT Food is the world’s largest and most dynamic food innovation community. We accelerate innovation to build a future-fit food system that produces healthy and sustainable food for all. 

Supported by the EU, we invest in projects, organisations and individuals that share our goals for a healthy and sustainable food system. We unlock innovation potential in businesses and universities, and create and scale agrifood startups to bring new technologies and products to market. We equip entrepreneurs and professionals with the skills needed to transform the food system and put consumers at the heart of our work, helping build trust by reconnecting them to the origins of their food.

We are one of nine innovation communities established by the European Institute for Innovation & Technology (EIT), an independent EU body set up in 2008 to drive innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe.

Find out more at www.eitfood.eu or follow us via social media: X, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.