The Commission is presenting the Vision for agriculture and food, fostering trust and dialogue across the entire value chain within the EU and globally. The Vision emphasises close engagement with relevant institutions, farmers, food chain operators and civil society at local and regional levels, addressing their concerns and ideas.
Recognising the essential role of farmers in our lives, the Vision seeks to boost the agri-food sector’s competitiveness and attractiveness. It outlines the enabling conditions to ensure the sector thrives, innovates, and continues benefiting society today, tomorrow and in 2040.
Building on the report of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture, and in consultation with the European Board for Agriculture and Food (EBAF), the Vision aims to secure the long-term competitiveness and sustainability of the EU’s farming and food sector. Based on the latest Eurobarometer results, most EU citizens agree that securing a stable food supply in the EU at all times is essential.
The Vision is composed of several priority areas with simplification of EU rules, research, innovation and digitalisation as cross-cutting drivers.
Communication: Vision for Agriculture and Food
Factsheet: Vision for Agriculture and Food
Commissioner Hansen presents the awaited Vision for Agriculture and Food
- Highlighted
The Commission presents its Vision for Agriculture and Food, an ambitious roadmap on the future of farming and food in Europe. This roadmap sets the stage for an attractive, competitive, resilient, future-oriented and fair agri-food system for current and future generations.
Build an attractive agri-food sector
The Vision calls for devising the right conditions to encouraging future generations to produce food by promoting fair income, public support and transparency in the food chain.
Europe’s farmers are vital for ensuring food security and providing healthy, quality food to citizens. However, the entire agri-food sector and rural areas are facing multiple challenges.
- Secure farmers’ future to make agriculture financially viable and fighting back unfair practices: attract incomes from multiple sources, foster a fairer position in the food chain to enable farmers to thrive and earn a fair revenue.
- Properly reward ecosystem services.
- Create opportunities for young people in rural areas: encourage future generations to choose agricultural careers, harness the agri-food sector’s entrepreneurial potential for a new wave of innovative agri-food businesses.
To benefit farmers, the agri-food chain and ultimately citizens, the Vision proposes to
- Review the unfair trading practices rules and common market organisation (CMO) Regulation
- Propose a fairer, simpler and targeted common agricultural policy
- Enhance the EU Agri-food Chain Observatory
- Present a bioeconomy Strategy
- Build an ambitious investment agenda
- Deliver a Generational Renewal Strategy
- Launch an EU Observatory on Farmland
Foster a competitive and resilient sector
The agri-food chain is under pressure from the impact of climate change to global competition and higher energy prices. Food security and sovereignty remain a priority in Europe.
- Develop resistance to geopolitical changes: diversify trade relations, create new export opportunities, pursue international partnerships
- Ensure products all have the same standards: align standards for imported products to guarantee EU’s ambitious standards do not lead to a competitive disadvantage, fully enforce food safety as it remains a non-negotiable priority
- Increase the resilience of the agri-food sector: innovate and maintain leadership in global markets, protect the interests of European farmers, and reduce critical import dependencies
To tackle these challenges, the Vision proposes to
- Establish new agri-food policy partnership dialogues
- Simplify the administrative burden on farmers and food businesses
- Develop a plan to address protein supply challenges
- Pursue a stronger alignment of production standards applied to imported products
- Review the animal welfare legislation
- Develop an ambitious Unity Safety Net for the EU agri-food sector
- Call for a European risk and crisis management approach
- Adopt a climate adaptation plan
- Launch a long-term strategy on livestock
Provide the conditions for a future-proof sector
Europe’s agricultural sector plays an important role in the transition to a low-carbon economy. The Vision for agriculture and food highlights the need to meet the 2040 climate targets.
- Support the EU’s climate objectives: Adopt innovative practices which is synonymous with opportunity for farmers ensuring decarbonisation and competitiveness go hand in hand
- Help farmers measure and improve their farm-level performance
- Protect and restoring the EU’s biodiversity: protect natural resources for healthy soils, clean water and air, reduce emissions to preserve nature for future generations
To address these challenges, the Vision proposes to
- Offer a voluntary benchmarking for on-farm sustainability
- Propose a Water Resilience Strategy
- Accelerate access to biopesticides
- Reward through the Carbon Removal and Carbon Farming
- Launch an EU digital strategy on agriculture
Focus on food, fair living and working condition in rural areas
The Vision for agriculture and food aims to reconnect people with the food they eat, and the territories and support rural areas by maintaining EU cultural heritage.
- Foster fair living and working conditions in vibrant rural areas Reinforce the link between citizens, rural areas and remote territories
- Remain a world leader in food innovation
- Social sustainability: protect the rights of workers, develop skills and attract more women in agricultural professions
To achieve these goals, the Vision proposes to
- Update the EU Rural Action Plan and strengthen the Rural Pact
- Establish a Women in Farming Platform
- Hold an annual Food Dialogue with food system's actors
- Strength the role of public procurement
- Develop short supply chains
- Review the EU school scheme
- Enhance consumer awareness by the promotion policy
- Promote further the uptake of geographical indications
In 2025 the Commission will publish a legislative package to simplify current rules for the agricultural sector to reduce administrative burden for farmers. As part of its broader programme, the Commission is working to lighten the regulatory burden on citizens, businesses and administrations stemming from EU laws.
A new EU strategic approach to research and innovation is key to improve the competitiveness of agriculture, forestry and rural areas. Strengthening knowledge exchange, upgrading digital skills and the further uptake of digital tools is crucial to position farming as an attractive and a choice for future generations.
