Commissioner Wojciechowski speaks to retailers & wholesalers on agriculture of the future

In the latest of the series of EuroCommerce Policy Talks, Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski is speaking today on his vision for the future of European agriculture, and addressing a range of issues related to it.  These include the impact of the COVID crisis on agriculture, sustainable food systems and the EU Farm-to-Fork strategy, food waste and food security, farmers’ income and regulation in the food supply chain, and the global and trade aspects of agriculture.

EuroCommerce Director-General Christian Verschueren said:

“As world leaders gather this week in New York to discuss sustainable food systems, we are very pleased to welcome Commissioner Wojciechowski to our Policy Talk on sustainable agriculture. As a vital link with consumers in the food supply chain, retailers and wholesalers have been very active in supporting the Farm-to-Fork objectives and addressing the accelerating transition to sustainability across the supply chain. They have been working with suppliers both of branded goods and our retailer brands to respond to and encourage consumer demand for sustainable food options and a healthy lifestyle, as well as reducing the environmental impact of their own business. Although retailers buy very little directly from farmers – less than 5% of what they sell – they have a shared interest in a globally competitive agriculture sector which prospers and successfully embraces this transition.  This needs a regulatory regime which supports dialogue and cooperation rather than national protectionism or inappropriate legislation from which neither farmers nor consumers benefit”.

Retailers and wholesalers are fully committed to realising the overall objective of the Farm-to-Fork strategy to create a sustainable food system.  EuroCommerce was one of the first to sign the EU Code of Conduct on Responsible Food Business and Marketing Practices launched in July, and has set out examples of a wide range of initiatives on sustainability and healthy lifestyles on its dedicated website #sustainablecommerce.

The Policy Talk can be accessed online on the dedicated EuroCommerce Policy Talks website or directly on YouTube.