Agriculture is a crucial pillar of European society and economy, but it faces mounting pressure due to climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Additionally, global political and economic tensions have worsened existing challenges, creating an urgent need for reform. In response to the growing challenges faced by Europe’s agriculture and food systems, the European Commission launched the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture in 2024. This initiative brought together stakeholders from various sectors to devise a comprehensive strategy for the sustainable transformation of Europe’s agri-food systems.
The dialogue recognizes that Europe’s agri-food systems must undergo a significant shift toward sustainability, resilience, and competitiveness. Central to this transformation is a balance between economic, environmental, and social sustainability. The report emphasizes that maximizing individual production factors is no longer viable. Instead, it calls for optimizing benefits across all areas, ensuring the well-being of not just farmers, but rural communities, civil society, and policymakers. At the heart of the Strategic Dialogue is a set of ten guiding principles aimed at shaping the future of Europe’s agri-food systems. These principles include the urgency of change, the importance of cooperation across the food value chain, and the need for policy coherence. The role of youth in agriculture, the diversity of Europe’s food systems, and leveraging technology and innovation to enhance sustainability are also highlighted. The report stresses the importance of balanced, healthier diets as part of the transition and emphasizes the need to foster attractive rural areas for both food security and societal stability.
The future of European agriculture lies in balancing sustainability, resilience, and profitability, ensuring that farms thrive while protecting our environment for generations to come.
To operationalize these principles, the dialogue offers several concrete recommendations:
- Sustainable Trade Policies: Europe’s trade policy needs greater alignment with sustainability goals. The report suggests that agriculture should be given strategic relevance in trade negotiations and that the European Union should play a leadership role in global trade policy reform.
- Strengthening Farmers’ Position: The report stresses the importance of improving farmers’ role in the food value chain. Encouraging cooperation, reducing costs, and ensuring better income from the market are pivotal. Transparency, cooperation, and tackling unfair trading practices are identified as essential steps.
- Sustainability Measures: A new approach is needed to deliver on sustainability goals, which includes launching an EU-wide benchmarking system to assess sustainability at the farm level, harmonizing methodologies, and tracking progress using common metrics.
- Reforming the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP): The CAP needs to be restructured to address current and future challenges. It should provide targeted support to farmers in need, incentivize environmental stewardship, and invigorate rural areas.
- Financing the Transition: Public and private capital must be mobilized to support a transition to more sustainable practices. A Temporary Just Transition Fund is proposed to supplement this shift, particularly for small- and large-scale farmers.
The Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture provides a bold vision for the transformation of Europe’s agri-food systems over the next 10 to 15 years. By fostering cooperation, innovation, and sustainability, it sets a clear roadmap for a future where agriculture and food production are not only economically viable but also environmentally responsible and socially equitable. Through this inclusive and coordinated effort, Europe’s agri-food systems can thrive amidst the global challenges of climate change, political instability, and societal transformation. CinSOIL’s mission is perfectly aligned with the core principles outlined in this Report and we are proud to support the transition to regenerative and sustainable agriculture through our innovative technological solutions.