The future of the European agricultural and food production system after the pandemic – POLITICO

The agri-food sector faced unprecedented challenges in 2020. Under the spotlight during the pandemic, it emerged as a strategic success for Europe, meeting consumer demand and averting food shortages. From farm to fork, everyone in the sector’s global supply chain, short or complex, has adapted and shown resilience.

But in the long term, there is still a long way to go to achieve the goals of the EU Green Deal and ensure a transition to a more sustainable food system. Building a green global agricultural system while maintaining a secure and competitive economy will not be easy if the EU goes it alone.

Key questions to address include:

• One year after the pandemic, what are the opportunities to strengthen the resilience, security, sustainability and productivity of the EU agricultural and food production system? What lessons can Europe draw from the crisis?
• How should Europe take the lead in promoting a sustainable global transition?
• What is the role of the agriculture and food sector in supporting Europe’s sustainable economic recovery?
• What needs to change in the European agricultural and food industry to achieve the ambitions of the EU Green Deal? Do farmers and producers have the right tools?
• Eco-schemes are the flagship innovation of the CAP reform: how to design them, finance them and make them attractive to farmers?
• The European Commission wants to promote nature-based solutions. What are they? And how should gene editing figure into EU plans?

In light of the European Commission’s recent EU agricultural outlook and the Portuguese Presidency’s priorities for the digitization of the sector, POLITICO will take an in-depth look at challenges and innovations to build resilience, security, sustainability and the productivity of the EU agricultural and food production system. for the next seven years.

This event is the first chapter in POLITICO’s Drive Sustainable Progress series.

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