Food

Europe’s agriculture depends on fossil-based fertilisers—and that makes it vulnerable. While CBAM dominates the debate, wars, markets and political inaction drive prices. How can the EU finally build a more resilient and sovereign food system?

Agroecology is far more than a set of sustainable agricultural practices. It puts peasants and indigenous voices at the centre. It seeks to preserve biocultural diversity and strengthen resilience while challenging existing power structures in the food system. This dossier is a collaborative effort of Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung offices and our partner organisations worldwide to highlight the diversity of agroecological initiatives within our global network. From community-led digital innovations to public policy strategies, it explores how agroecology redefines food systems and promotes people’s agency.

Synthetic fertilisers harm the climate, but industrial farming relies heavily on them. Additionally, higher fertiliser prices have pushed up prices for food commodities. African countries, where food crises intersect with debt crises, are hit especially hard.

The EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy was designed to ‘accelerate the transition to a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food system’. It sets a range of targets to be met by 2030, underpinned by a mixture of new or revised laws, and non-legislative initiatives. As the current European Commission nears the end of its mandate, this article proposes how the next European Commission, from 2024–2029, should carry forward the goals of the Farm to Fork Strategy, and actions to meet its targets, especially as the EU is currently stalling many of its aspects in light of recent farmer protests.

This article reflects on the potential links between the CAP and the proposal for a European Framework for Sustainable Food Systems (SFS). This integration is challenging, but possible. Constructive interdisciplinary dialogue and pro-active cooperation at multiple-level of governance should not be replaced by time wasting, biased strategic dialogues, as is now proposed. The upcoming European elections and future of food and farming cannot inherit this logic of postponing.

It is widely known that energy companies have been making enormous profits since the start of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. Over recent months, however, there has also been much evidence of crisis profiteers in the agri-food sector, as food prices in many countries are still rising steeply. High food prices are directly contributing to a rise in poverty and food insecurity.

The build-up to the UN Food systems Summit 2021 has underlined why systems thinking is essential and action is required now, both concerning the ending of hunger and tackling the web of issues that contribute to sustainability.

Those most affected by the negative consequences of large-scale industrialized food production must play a vital part in discussing how to transform it. The world therefore needs a people’s Food Systems Summit that aims to end hunger and malnutrition, protect ecosystems, and provide small farmers with a decent livelihood.

The global demand for meat continues to rise due to economic and population growth, but at a slower pace than 10 years ago. Poultry accounts for an increasingly large share of consumption. Large differences remain in consumption per capita between countries and among population groups.

The world’s meat production has grown rapidly, fed by rising demand and made possible by technological advances in livestock farming. But this has had serious consequences for animal welfare and small-scale producers.

Adding insects to our menus could help overcome the world’s food-supply problems. But the industrial production of insects is controversial: would it be useful or dangerous?

The Common Market Organization (CMO), insufficient grazing subsidies and eco-schemes. An explainer about how EU dairy exports could increase rural unemployment and food poverty in Japan.