What is the Strategic Dialogue?
The Strategic Dialogue - a group of 29 cross-sector organisations including farmers, NGOs and representatives of the food and drink industry - was launched by President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in January 2024. Amidst the backdrop of European farmers' protests, the process aimed to foster dialogue and reduce polarisation by finding consensus amongst the participants on the future of EU agriculture.
Who was involved in the Strategic Dialogue?
29 organisations from across Brussels were invited to participate in the process. This included the European Council of Young Farmers (CEJA), Copa-Cogeca, Eurogroup for Animals, the European Environmental Bureau and FoodDrinkEurope. Participants were invited on a personal basis.
How did the process work?
The 7-month long process saw the 29 members meet regularly in Brussels, chaired by Special Adviser to the President of the European Commission, Peter Strohschneider. 4 questions were posed to the group:
- How can our farmers, and the rural communities they live in, be given a better perspective, including a fair standard of living?
- How can agriculture be supported within the boundaries of our planet and its ecosystem?
- How can better use be made of the immense opportunities offered by knowledge and technological innovation?
- How can a bright and thriving future for Europe’s food system be promoted in a competitive world?
The discussions were held behind closed doors and were strictly confidential. Finally, the report is based on consensus, meaning that all participants agreed on the content and final text.
Summary of the Strategic Dialogue report
Spanning 100+ pages, the report covers almost every aspect of the EU agri-food chain. The report is divided into 3 parts:
- Future Agriculture and Food Systems in the European Union
- Guiding Political Principles
- Recommendations
There are 5 recommendations:
- Recommendation C.1: Working together for a sustainable and competitive future.
- Recommendation C.2: Advancing towards sustainable food systems
- Recommendation C.3: Promoting transformative resilience
- Recommendation C.4: Building an attractive and diverse sector
- Recommendation C.5: Better access to and use of knowledge and innovation
Each of these recommendations are summarised below.
Recommendation C.1: Working together for a sustainable and competitive future.
This section covers several aspects including improving the position of farmers in the value chain and the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP).
To improve the position of farmers in the supply chain, the report makes several recommendations including reinforcing and encouraging cooperatives and Producer Organisation, strengthening the EU's Unfair Trading Practises Directive and enhancing market monitoring.
On the CAP, the Strategic Dialogue considers that funding should target support to those who need it most including farmers facing natural constraints, small farms, young farmers, and new entrants. The future CAP should also promote positive environmental and animal welfare outcomes, and should be directed to active farmers. Any transformation of the CAP should be done gradually so that that farmers and Member States can adapt to a stepwise and planned approach considering the long-term investment cycles in the sector. Finally, the CAP budget must match the ambitions for the sector.
The report also makes several recommendations on finance:
- Establishment of an Agri-food Just Transition Fund (AJTF): A temporary fund outside the CAP to support investments during a limited period. The fund should provide one-of investment support (in the form of loans or grants) to farmers and other food system actors for their sustainability transition. This support should go beyond material
investments, including also capacity building. - Mobilizing capital (public and private): The public and private sectors should cooperate to better mobilize capital for projects that enable both small- and large-scale farmers and food system stakeholders to transition towards sustainable practices and systems.
- EU and Member State loan facilities including a fit for purpose bank lending framework, addressing barriers to bank lending, loan packages with favourable rates.
On trade, the Strategic Dialogue recommends that the overall ambition should be to create a stronger alignment of imports with EU food and farming standards, taking into account as far as possible sociocultural, economic, geographic, climatic and regulatory contexts of trading partners as well as the expectations of EU consumers with regard to standards.
Finally, the group recommends setting up a European Board on Agri-food (EBAF) to continue the work of the Strategic Dialogue. This would be an advisory board composed of high-level individuals appointed by the Commission. The overall task of EBAF is to advise the European Commission across all services in charge of agriculture and food systems.
Recommendation C.2: Advancing towards sustainable food systems
This section acknowledges that bold and swift action is required to transition towards sustainable food systems. It covers topics including healthy diets, sustainable farming practices and animal farming.
On healthy diets, the group agree that consuming healthy and sustainable diets should be easy for the public. Several recommendations are made, including ensuring that healthy foods have lower taxes. However, no definition of a healthy diet is provided. The European Commission should develop, by 2026, an EU Action Plan for Plant-based Foods to strengthen the plant-based agri-food chains from farmers all the way to consumers.
The group also recommends that the Commission should review EU labelling legislation.
Organic production and agroecology are recognised as sustainable farming systems that reduce negative externalities. The group agree on the need to reduce GHG emissions, but recognise that significant challenges are present. The sector should be better supported to ensure sustainable practises.
The important role of livestock is recognised in the report. The group consider that the Commission should propose the revision of EU animal welfare legislation by 2026 - which may include a phase-out of cages. A voluntary animal welfare label should also be proposed.
Recommendation C.3: Promoting transformative resilience
This section is divided into 3 parts - better preserving and managing farmland, scaling up adaptation and robust risk and crisis management.
The group recommends no net land take by 2050, and that a European Observatory for Agricultural Land be set up to enhance transparency and cooperation.
Sustainable farming practices and new business models must be scaled up to promote more efficient use of natural resources, especially water, less reliance on agricultural inputs, the protection of soils, the restoration of nature, and the diversification of crops and animal breeds. Farmers need to be supported to adapt. This includes water resilience. Innovative plant
breeding approaches are also key. There is no direct mention of New Genomic Techniques (NGTs).
Recommendation C.4: Building an attractive and diverse sector
This section is divided into 4 parts and covers several social aspects including supporting young farmers, attracting and protecting workers and diversity.
The group call on the Commission to take concrete steps to support generational renewal, including provision of a specific group loans package. For workers, the Strategic Dialogue is keen to promote the sector as an attractive career and several recommendations have been made including full implementation of social conditionality in the CAP in all Member States.
The section also addresses gender equality and diversity. Men and women should be equally represented in leadership positions, and rural areas should have infrastructure and services that support women to live a decent life.
Recommendation C.5: Better access to and use of knowledge and innovation
This final section is divided into 5 sections including sharing of knowledge and skills, research and innovations and streamlining regulatory procedures.