The urgency for sustainable transformation across all sectors has driven the EU to set bold targets, aiming to be the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.
Mitigating environmental stresses and responding to their consequences is essential to safeguard food security, agricultural land, and farmers’ livelihoods now and in the future.
According to Simon Atkins, a food industry professional of more than 35 years and an advisor to the ‘More Than Only Food & Drink’ campaign innovation plays “a key role” in the transition to more sustainable farming practices.
This also includes a growing focus on organic farming and promoting Geographical Indications (GIs), which support sustainable, high-quality food production while protecting regional specialties.
“In the EU we are seeing a growing use of regenerative farming methods, such as cover crops and companion crops. These practices not only improve soil health but also reduce the demand for chemical fertilisers, promoting a more sustainable agricultural ecosystem,” adds Atkins.
By 2030, the target is to reduce pesticides and microbials by 50% and reduce fertiliser use by 20% from 2020.2 From 2018 to 2022, there was an overall decrease of 46% in the use and risk of chemical pesticides from the baseline period of 2015-2017. Between 2021 and 2022, there was a decrease relative to the baseline, of 12%, giving optimism that the target of 50% reduction by 2030 is achievable.2
“While EU farmers face numerous challenges, there is also incredible resilience and innovation already happening on the ground. Farmers are working tirelessly to strike a crucial balance between ensuring food security and protecting our environment,” says Atkins.
“Recognising the efforts that farmers are already making is key to building a foundation for even greater change in the future. The progress on farms today sets the stage for tomorrow’s advancements.”
A key message from the EU’s Strategic Dialogue on the future of agriculture is that sustainability should be inclusive and accessible to all, ensuring that its food systems work for everyone.3
The EU provides motivation to receive full Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments. Farmers must respect an enhanced set of requirements and standards for the environment, climate, health, animal welfare, and working conditions. Almost 90% of the EU’s cultivated land is subject to this condition, which is crucial to the adoption of sustainable farming methods.
Of the total CAP budget, 32% is attributed to voluntary actions that advance the environmental, climate and animal welfare objectives. The largest financial contribution comes from eco-schemes and environmental and climate commitments under rural development, at €44.7 billion and €33.2 billion respectively.4
The flexibility granted to Member States in designing tools to reduce their environmental impact has allowed them to target specific needs in their national or regional contexts.4 For example, in Portugal, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece and Slovenia there are national campaigns to promote organic fertilisers to replace synthetic alternatives. In Germany, they are taking steps to support agroforestry – where agriculture is combined with trees to give healthier soil, higher yields and better habitats for wildlife.
Progress has also been made in the sustainable management of natural resources, particularly in soil protection, with voluntary practices encompassing 47% of EU farmland.4
The plans will aid in achieving the EU’s objective of having 25% of the EU’s agricultural area cultivated organically. By 2027, it is projected that 10% of the EU’s agricultural land will secure CAP support for organic production, an increase from 5.6% in 2020.4
Throughout the continent, the EU is actively supporting both large and small producers, helping them adopt these sustainable practices to meet its carbon-neutral goals.
How a Belgian cooperative transitioned to organic farming
One cooperative in Belgium is the first in the country to harvest big volumes of organic sweet potatoes and garlic. The cooperative owns a professional storage capacity and has a unique structure that strengthens the supply chain. The cooperative demonstrated that organic, sustainable, quality vegetables can have significant supply capacities.
The farm was converted to organic farming, with farmers adopting more environmentally friendly agronomic techniques and leveraging their deep knowledge of the crops at the core of the process.
Over the border, France launched an Agroecology (a scientific and social movement driven by the demand for socio-ecological change) diagnostic tool to encourage farmers to think about their methods and possible changes to their systems.
This tool allows individual farmers to assess their methods and performance and compare them with other farmers. The diagnostic has been free of charge since September 2015.5
Quality schemes that protect long-standing sustainable practices
Europe is already a leader in producing high-quality food, which includes geographical indication (GI) protection and organic products. The EU’s Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) are much more than quality schemes.
From the perspective of EU agriculture, PDO and PGI labels indirectly support the promotion of sustainable farming practices and protect the rural economy. This connection to local climate and environmental conditions allows products to be grown in their most suitable environment, leading to more efficient cultivation practices that require fewer external inputs, such as water, energy or fertilisers.
Furthermore, in May 2024, new regulations on GIs for wine and spirit drinks, and agricultural products and optional agricultural products came into force which asked producers to include details of the sustainable practices adopted.6
These GIs not only encourage producers to adhere to environmentally-friendly methods but also preserve traditional production techniques, which have been refined over generations to make the best use of the natural resources and terroir of their regions.
By supporting local producers and their time-honoured ways of making food, PDO and PGI labels help maintain jobs and economic activity in rural areas, contributing to long-term sustainability in every sense.
Find out more about sustainable agriculture in the EU.
Find out more about the EU’s ‘More Than Only Food and Drink’ campaign here.
References
1. European Commission. 2030 climate targets.
2. European Commission. EU: Trends.
3. European Commission. Strategic Dialogue on the future of EU agriculture.
4. European Commission. Report on CAP covering the 2023-2027 period highlights shift towards a sustainable EU farming model.
5. Agriculture.gouv. The agroecology project in France.
