The Agri-Food Chain Coalition (AFCC) has issued a statement in response to the European Commission’s Draghi Report, emphasizing the need for investment in sustainable innovation backed by outcome-based policy frameworks. The statement highlights the absence of agriculture from the strategic sectors listed in the European Commission’s Draghi Report, despite its vital role in health, the economy, and EU sovereignty, notes a press release on the Euroseeds website.
The coalition urges outcome-focused policies and increased investment in sustainable practices, innovation, and public-private partnerships to support farmers and agri-food businesses. They highlight the importance of collaboration across the value chain to ensure food security, biodiversity, and climate resilience, while keeping Europe’s food systems competitive.
In their statement, the AFCC says:
“As a coalition representing key players across the agri-food value chain, we strongly believe that investment in sustainable practices and innovation must be backed by outcome-based policy frameworks that drive real impact on the ground for farmers and agri-food chain operators.
“Despite their undeniable importance, Agriculture and the agri-food chain are absent from the strategic sectors listed in the report even though the President von der Leyen rightly stated last week on the day of the publication of the report on the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture that ‘it would be difficult to find a sector as important as agriculture, which is as vital to our health as it is to our economy and our autonomy’.”
In line with this commitment, the AFCC will host a networking reception, “Cultivating Connections,” on Oct. 2, 2024, at Io Sono Piemonte. The event, held in celebration of the new European Parliament mandate, will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to discuss the future of the agri-food sector.
