EU-Africa & Farm to Fork Strategies: European Union calls for a global transition to a sustainable food system

A high-level virtual roundtable on EU-Africa & Farm to Fork Strategies 2020 organized by SME Connect explored opportunities for a global transition towards robust and resilient food systems that provide affordable, safe food for everyone, while protecting the environment.

The EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy together with the upcoming EU-Africa Strategy have the potential to promote the global transition towards a robust and resilient food system and ensure access to affordable and safe food for everyone, affirmed MEP and Member of the European Parliamentary Alliance against Hunger and Malnutrition Marlene Mortler

“Africa is experiencing the first recession in 25 years”, suggested Parliamentarian of the Republic of Gabon, Angélique Ngoman. The EU-Africa Strategy should sufficiently reflect African priorities and redefine the EU-Africa partnership to allow it to foster equality and inclusive growth.

FAO Brussels Director, Rodrigo de Lapuerta stressed: “We need multilateralism and collective action more than ever in order to address the fragility of our agri-food systems. A joint Task-force on Africa’s food security amid crisis was launched by FAO and the African Union in April. Among the participants are not only Ministers of Agriculture, but also Ministers of Trade and Budget while the EU is a permanent observer. This Task Force can feed nicely into the EU-Africa Summit in 2021.”

Parliamentary State Secretary in the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Dr Maria Flachsbarth, highlighted the importance of internationally agreed standards ensuring safe and sustainable agri-food products for a successful global transition. The EU’s Green Deal should serve as a new guiding vision for sustainable development in this regard.

The EU-AU Summit and the UN Food Systems Summit in 2021 will be key opportunities to prioritize agriculture and food security in future policy setting.