Ursula von der Leyen: Slow Food Calls for her Immediate Recommitment to Sustainable Food and Farming

As the re-election of Mrs. Ursula von der Leyen as President of the European Commission is now official, Slow Food calls on her to demonstrate concretely her commitment to fair and sustainable food and farming, as published in the EU Green Deal in 2020 and as encouraged through the process of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of Agriculture in Europe – called for by von der Leyen and of which Slow Food is part. Her announcement that agriculture would play “a role” in the priorities of the next European Commission but that its focus would be on other issues stirred concern amongst civil society.

Marta Messa, Slow Food’s Secretary General, comments: “We need clear commitments, we need to understand that the transition to sustainable food systems is key for the overall resilience of the planet, and we need to reconcile short-term crisis responses with a clear long-term vision of living well within the limits of this planet. What we have seen in recent months misses these points. For the next Commission mandate, we cannot miss the mark. As Slow Food we are invested in the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of Agriculture, and we call for the efforts of all organisations involved not to be in vain”

When Ursula von der Leyen kicked-off the EU Strategic Dialogue on the future of EU agriculture in January, she brought together farmers representatives, retailers, consumer organisations, environmental groups, financial institutions, and academia to build a new consensus on food and farming.

However, the same von der Leyen has been ambivalent on her environmental and climate goals, as noted in the rollback of environmental requirements from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). As documented in a recent report of the European Environment Agency’s (EEA), we must recognize climate and the environment as enablers for a safe operating space for the EU. The same report states how the objectives of the climate and environment agenda, security, economic competitiveness and social fairness are all inextricably linked and can only be addressed effectively in tandem.

Ahead of her reelection, von der Leyen presented her political guidelines for the next EU Commission – at the heart of her vision for farming policy will be food security. We call on the President to guarantee that her Commission programme is rooted in sustainability , and that effective policies will be put in place to empower a just and inclusive transition for all actors in the food system. Slow Food will continue to contribute to the definition of the Commission programme through its participation in the Strategic Dialogue and will follow up on ensuring sustainable food systems remain high on the agenda.

Agroecology as identified solution

Agroecology has been identified by a series of landmark reports as a key enabler for food system transformation. Why? Because it re-establishes the connection between nature and human beings, animals, culture and landscape by strengthening the physical and cognitive connections between producers, consumers, retailers and the environment. Slow Food reaffirms the urgent need for a transition to agroecology, which requires commitment and perseverance from all actors – the EU institutions included.

Slow Food calls on President Ursula von der Leyen to take the following immediate actions:

1. Translate into effective policy the Commitment to Sustainable Food Systems by adopting an evidence-based, long-term vision for food policies, with a focus on enhancing farmers’ livelihoods, promoting health and environmental protection and securing access to diversified and healthy diets for all.
2. Support a just and inclusive transition by providing robust financial support to farmers transitioning to agroecology and effectively involve all food systems stakeholders in the transition.
3. Make European and trade policies work to the benefit of farmers and all citizens by prioritizing environmental, animal welfare and health standards, ensuring fair competition and protecting farmers’ livelihoods, in Europe and beyond
4. Ensure inclusive, participatory and transparent governance.