EESC underlines the importance of a comprehensive EU food policy

On December 6, the EESC adopted an own-initiative opinion calling for a comprehensive European food policy. The goal of this initiative is to provide healthy diets from sustainable food systems and to link agriculture to nutrition and ecosystem services, while at the same time ensuring supply chains which safeguard public health for all people in Europe.

Peter Schmidt, rapporteur of the opinion said: “We need to bring more fairness into the market and we need to make people understand the value of food.”

Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Vytenis Andriukaitis, welcomed the EESC opinion and highlighted the importance of civil society’s support in food policy, especially when it comes to tackling food waste and health issues.

Among the important steps needed, EESC mentioned that it is crucial to maintain and promote a culture that values the nutritional and cultural importance of food, while establishing closer links between producers and consumers and ensuring fair prices for producers so that farming remains viable, something that the Fair Trade movement finds very encouraging.

Read the full press release here.