Bold policymaking is vital for transforming Europe’s food system

In the midst of political transition, collaboration across the food system is vital

Europe is entering a new era of politics, with the results of the European elections of 6-9 June set to make a huge impact across the European Union and beyond.

This will no doubt have consequences for Europe’s (and as a result, our global) food system. A new cohort of MEPs will be ushered in against the backdrop of widespread farmer protests, driven by frustration at a lack of opportunities and economic support, as well as a perception that suppliers outside of Europe are not subject to the same strict requirements.

But despite tensions, our food system is transforming, both within and outside of traditional decision-making fora. For the incoming European Parliament, speed and scale are of the essence, and there is an urgent need to support actors across our whole food system – including farmers, investors, innovators, and consumers – by creating the optimum policy environment for positive changes to take shape.

Marie-Elisabeth Rusling, Head of Public Affairs, EIT Food

We must shift towards inclusive and systemic policymaking

To build a food system that works for everyone, it is essential that decision makers are hearing from voices across European society.

And there is a long way to go to improve public trust in the food system, according to the latest EIT Food Trust Report, which reveals that less than half of Europeans say that they have trust in food.

While farmers remain the most trusted group in the food sector, with 65% of consumers expressing trust in this group, less than one in two consumers trust government agencies at a national and EU level when it comes to the food system. There is a need to break down longstanding siloes in policymaking, and create more transparent, inclusive processes in order to rebuild trust between authorities and the rest of the food value chain.

One innovative example of this in practice is the Consumers’ Understanding of Eating Sustainably (CUES) project, which is actively involving consumers, food value chain actors and policymakers in its efforts to make sustainable food more desirable and trustworthy.

With the EIT Food Trust Report finding that only 38% of consumers believe that authorities care about what ordinary people think about food, projects which take a multi-actor participatory approach such as CUES are essential to dismantle the barriers for consumers to engage with policymaking, and for actors along the value chain to contribute to fostering the creation of new solutions for the food system.

 Collaboration is key to invest in food system transformation

There is a need to promote ambitious, long-term collaboration to transform the food system in a way that benefits us all. And with the sustainable transition in agriculture estimated to cost between €37 and €52 billion annually, financing our food system is one of the areas in which collaboration is most urgently needed.

Where public financing and private investment are failing to plug the gap on their own, a mix of subsidies and private investments would enable the acceleration and scaling of innovations which support a sustainable, resilient food system. Both new instruments and revamped CAP instruments are central, but progress will only be made if these instruments truly incentivise and reward sustainable practices.

EIT Food’s Impact Funding Framework is one example of an initiative to co-fund and resource programmes which will deliver impact to transform the food system. Successful applicants will focus on one of three key areas: improving the impact of diet on obesity and non-communicable disease; reducing food-system-related environmental harm; and dealing with the threats posed by food integrity and complex supply chains.

The Framework is inherently collaborative; the proposed programmes must connect key companies, research organisations, social enterprises, and other stakeholders across value chains, as well as outline how they will work collaboratively with EIT Food.

Harmonising frameworks is key to promote simplicity and coherence across financing instruments. There is an opportunity for policymakers to work towards allowing Member States and regional schemes to efficiently integrate with EU instruments. This is paramount to ensure that beneficiaries of national and regional schemes can easily and meaningfully engage at an EU level.

In order to generate the momentum and scale required to move the needle, well-functioning programme components must be applied to new programmes. There is neither time nor money to reinvent the wheel. As a community and convenor of stakeholders across the food system with extensive project expertise, EIT Food is optimally positioned to build and extend these bridges.

 Sharing learnings will break down siloes

Exchanging data, research and learnings across value chains is key to tackling the biggest challenges facing our food system and enabling us to achieve climate and health goals.

One solution which is currently impeded by siloes is the transition to regenerative agriculture, which is an imperative to build a resilient agricultural model which works in harmony with nature. But a lack of viable business models has created uncertainty for farmers around short- and long-term profitability.

EIT Food’s Regenerative Innovation Portfolio is promoting radical collaboration as a way to remove existing barriers to adoption of regenerative agriculture. With farmers as the focus, the initiative is supporting new cross-value chain solutions in Europe that will enable viable business models to transition to regenerative farming practices.

The Portfolio is taking a ‘landscape’ approach, meaning that each set of initiatives will operate within a region or area where there is a shared interest across the value chain to shift towards regenerative agriculture. This way, EIT Food and its partners can identify and engage with companies that are willing to work together to exchange data, solutions and resources which support farmers.

The success of this approach could set a precedent for future knowledge exchange.

What’s next?

The EU election offers significant opportunities and challenges as Europe welcomes in a new wave of MEPs. One major challenge is likely to be increasing pressure on the Green Deal, with resulting blows to key agreements including the EU Nature Restoration Law and the EU protein strategy.

By building stronger relationships and networks of collaboration across the food system, we can better prepare to work alongside policymakers to accelerate food system transformation.

As the world’s largest agrifood innovation community, EIT Food stands at the ready to engage policymakers with research, insights and frameworks which can support inclusive, collaborative decision-making and strengthen the bridge between authorities and the rest of the food system.

We urge MEPs to put political differences aside to co-create a modern food system that works for everyone. And we call on all citizens of Europe to stand with us as we bridge between policymaking and the food system, supporting the urgent rebuilding of policy framework at EU and national levels for a thriving, inclusive future of food.

Join us at the biggest EIT Food event of the year, Next Bite, taking place 15-16 October in Rome – register now.