The EU’s Farm to Fork strategy was a milestone in linking environmental sustainability with socio‑economic fairness in food systems. However, its potential remained only partially realised, especially in delivering transformative equity along agri‑food value chains. The EU’s Vision for Agriculture and Food, published in February 2025, sets a long-term roadmap for a “competitive, resilient, and fair” agri-food system. While it frequently refers to fair supply chains, decent working conditions, and correcting imbalances in the food chain, its emphasis remains on boosting production and competitiveness rather than driving the systemic market reforms needed to deliver fairness, sustainability, and resilience. Positive steps include proposals to ban systematic below-cost selling, strengthen cross-border enforcement of Unfair Trading Practices rules, and introduce a “best value” approach in public procurement to reward quality and sustainability. Yet, businesses and large market actors escape targeted measures, and action to address market behaviour towards farmers is absent.

From a Fair Trade perspective, the Vision misses the chance to embed agroecology, fair incomes, and global trade justice at its core. Its external dimension is weak, with limited focus on smallholder farmers in the Global South and no commitment to align EU trade policy with sustainable livelihoods abroad. While the narrative is encouraging and offers advocacy opportunities, turning words into binding measures, ensuring equitable burden-sharing, living incomes, and inclusive supply chains, will be essential. A resilient food system must value farmers everywhere, reward sustainability in practice, and place social and environmental justice at the heart of EU agri-food policy.