In the ‘Farm to Fork’ strategy, the EU Commission recognises that our ‘food consumption patterns are unsustainable’, and that the EU average ‘consumption of whole-grain cereals, fruit and vegetables, legumes and nuts is insufficient.’ It has also proposed to establish ‘minimum mandatory criteria for sustainable food procurement’.

Unfortunately, the agribusiness lobby appears to have been able to successfully push for last-minute changes to the detriment of human and animal well-being. In an earlier leaked version of the ‘Farm to Fork’ strategy, the EU Commission seemed more ambitious and visionary by referring to its intention to 'stop stimulating the production or the consumption of meat'. To recall, the Commission has clarified that between 2016 and 2019, EUR 138.7 million were allocated to campaigns promoting meat and meat products.

Moreover, the leaked version was much more ambitious about reforming the EU farming subsidies, to better align them with the 'Farm to Fork' strategy. It had stated that "the Commission will work with the co-legislators to ensure that the Green Deal ambition is fully reflected in the new CAP legislation." Now in the final version, this reference no longer appears.

Based on today’s publication, we renew our call on the EU to set ambitious targets to reduce the production and consumption of animal products, including fish. Instead of subsidising industrial animal agriculture, the EU must shift subsidies to encourage farmers to grow plants instead. Any EU food promotion funds must exclusively be used to stimulate better, plant-rich diets. Prices of animal products must also better reflect the negative externalities from industrial animal agriculture, and plant-based options must be made more affordable to consumers.

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