Concrete data, prospects and ambitions. This is what asks Cotance, together with the other associations that, on Thursday May 20, 2021, signed a joint declaration to denounce the too many limitations of the Farm to Fork strategy. The stance took place exactly one year after the presentation of the project by the European Commission. The signatories (besides Cotance: European Livestock Voice, Clitravi, IBC, UECBV and others) do not question the impact that the strategy will have on the whole agri-food value chain. However, they fear that “it will most likely not have the same effects initially hoped for or expected”. And they explain why.
The too many limitations of the Farm to Fork strategy
Cotance and the other signatories stress that Farm to Fork “still raises too many questions in the European agricultural and agri-food community” and that “this year of intense debates has only increased our concerns”. In other words, “this strategy should have consequences not only on the environmental quality of our agriculture. But also on our production capacity, on our competitiveness, on our imports and, finally, on consumer prices – continue the signatories -. As has been shown during this past year, however, there are also remarkable paradoxes in the composition of these generalised objectives. When this is understood, it will be too late”.
Concrete data, prospects and ambitions
For all these reasons, the associations ask for “the application of three principles of common sense”. First: “Having a policy based on concrete data and scientific evidence, in line with the principle of better lawmaking, without relying on ideologies and political positions”. Second: “To start talking concretely about tools and technologies to create enthusiasm in our agricultural community towards this political project”. Third: “Having the same level of ambition in the EU internal market and towards international trading partners that do not share the same ambitions”.
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