Background Farm to Fork
Food security is back on the plate in Brussels
The European Parliament demands a thorough investigation into the effects of the Farm-to-Fork targets on European food security. Increasing food security is a priority with war in Ukraine and food production needs to be increased. This is stated by parliament in a 24-point resolution adopted yesterday (Thurs 72 March).
According to the parliamentarians, the national strategic plans of the Member States (the national interpretations of the CAP) must also be examined and adapted to the new circumstances. 'Including the use of the necessary flexibility to increase the areas available for production'. Parliament is of the opinion that the ambition to reduce the production area by 10% cannot be achieved in the light of the current market conditions. MEPs are also urging the European Commission to provide full clarity to Member States about the force majeure clause in the CAP.
The MPs emphasize in the resolution that "first and foremost every effort must be made to ensure that food shortages do not arise, particularly in vulnerable regions, in order to avoid widespread geopolitical instability". They believe that 'contributing to global food security is currently a moral duty and should not be seen as a threat to the long-term goals of the Farm-to-Fork strategy and the broader Green Deal'.
step up European agricultural production
In view of the extraordinary circumstances, the European Parliament believes that temporary and reversible measures are urgently needed to increase European agricultural production for the 2022 harvest season to ensure food security in the EU. The parliament also calls for support for Ukrainian agriculture. Parliament also advocates state aid. Something that the Europese Commissie already promised in a package of measures this week.
Several Dutch MEPs are pleased with the adopted resolution. "This is a clear signal from the European Parliament: food security must once again be put at the heart of EU policy," said Annie Schreijer-Pierik (CDA). Bert-Jan Ruissen (SGP) agrees that a thorough impact study should first be done on the Farm-to-Fork targets, taking into account the consequences of the Russian invasion. Schreijer-Pierik also applauds such a study. During the plenary debate with Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski and French Minister Clément Beaune on Wednesday evening, she emphasized that Farm-to-Fork and biodiversity strategies drastically reduce EU food production according to previous scientific impact assessments.
Room for fertilizer substitutes
Schreijer-Pierik emphasizes that the EU must do everything it can to save the current sowing and planting season in Ukraine as much as possible, as the Ukrainian agriculture minister requested on Tuesday in his consultation with agricultural politicians. Ruissen also thinks it is very good that parliament also advocates support for Ukrainian agriculture in the form of seeds, diesel, fertilizer and the like. The Dutch arable farmer Kees Huizinga, who farms in Ukraine, also argued for this during his visit to the European Parliament on Tuesday - at the invitation of Ruissen.
Both Ruissen and Schreijer-Pierik want more room for fertilizer substitutes, as stated in the resolution. VVD MEP Jan Huitema also argues for this. In a statement, he said: "Fertilizer prices have quadrupled. This means less fertilization and will further reduce food production in the world. Food prices are rising even further, affecting mainly food importing countries and people with low incomes. In addition, the The fertilizer industry is one of the largest consumers of gas. Fortunately, thanks to Dutch innovations, alternatives are available. For example, we can make fertilizer substitutes from leftover animal manure and sewage sludge that make us less dependent on Russian gas in the short term."
Analysis Wageningen effects war for food security
Agriculture minister Henk Staghouwer (CU) has commissioned Wageningen University (WUR) to analyze the food security effects of the war in Ukraine. He presented this to the House of Representatives on Wednesday. The analysis shows that for the short term (up to six months) worldwide, with the exception of Ukraine, no shortage of food can be foreseen. The sharp rise in grain prices is mainly a problem for the countries that are most dependent on imports from Ukraine (such as Egypt and Turkey). These are predominantly poorer countries where a large part of the household income - 40% or more - is spent on food. This is especially the case in poorer countries, but people can also get into trouble in Europe/the Netherlands, says Staghouwer in his letter to the House.
According to WUR, the biggest bottlenecks for the EU/the Netherlands are now: the availability of grains, especially for animal feed, the availability of specific import flows such as GMO-free or organic, the availability of sunflower oil, the sharply increased costs for energy and fertilizers. “Companies are looking for alternatives, where a bottleneck can be that they do not meet the desired product specifications (such as GMO-free) or EU legislation regarding the maximum residue limit (MRL) of plant protection products. are not allowed in the EU. Replacement is therefore not always possible or quick to realize," according to the analysis. Staghouwer turns this around in his letter: "Scarcity can occur with some products in the Netherlands and/or the EU, but this need not pose a threat to food security because there are (usually) alternatives available for the product."
Increases will affect consumer prices
Until now, these higher production costs for primary agriculture only have a limited effect on the price paid by the consumer. This also applies to the processing links to a greater or lesser extent. WUR expects that the current increases in costs will have a stronger effect on consumer prices in the near future.
In the medium (six months to two years) to longer term (more than two years) there is a lot of uncertainty about the consequences of the war on food security. WUR will calculate various scenarios, in which five factors will be decisive: the production (reduction) in Ukraine and possibly also Russia; the length of the conflict; the availability of fertilizers; the availability of energy; trade barriers (through individual country protectionism or sanctions).
Linda van Eekeres
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