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From farm to fork

Making Europe’s food healthier and more sustainable is the main goal of the EU’s farm to fork policy work.

Why should food become healthier and more sustainable?

The EU food system ensures fresh and safe food for over 400 million European citizens. Food production is not only a vital service but also a source of income. The EU agri-food chain is a major economic sector of the EU.

Yet, the agri-food sector has a considerable impact on the environment. About a third of the world's greenhouse gas emissions comes from food systems, according to a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The current food model has also a detrimental effect on people's health, resulting in over 50% of adults in Europe being overweight.

The EU is transforming the way food is produced and consumed in Europe to:

  • reduce the environmental footprint of food systems
  • strengthen resilience against crises
  • keep on ensuring healthy and affordable food also for future generations 

What is the farm to fork strategy?

The Commission presented the farm to fork strategy in May 2020, as one of the key actions under the European Green Deal. Contributing to achieving climate neutrality by 2050, the strategy intends to shift the current EU food system towards a sustainable model. 

While recalling food security and safety as priorities, the strategy's main goals are to:

  • ensure sufficient, affordable and nutritious food within planetary limits
  • halve the use of pesticides and fertilisers and sales of antimicrobials
  • increase the amount of land devoted to organic farming
  • promote more sustainable food consumption and healthy diets
  • reduce food loss and waste
  • combat food fraud in the supply chain
  • improve animal welfare

The transition to a more environmentally-friendly food system aims to generate new business opportunities which have a positive impact on the revenues of agri-food operators.  

In October 2020, the Council adopted conclusions on the strategy, endorsing the goal of developing a European sustainable food system, from production to consumption. Member states stressed the need to ensure:

  • sufficient and affordable food while contributing to EU climate neutrality by 2050
  • a fair income and strong support for primary producers
  • competitiveness of the EU agriculture at global level

The farm to fork strategy is aligned with the 2030 EU biodiversity strategy — the two proposals being presented as complementary.

What are the main farm to fork policy initiatives?

Organic action plan

The action plan on organic farming, presented by the Commission in March 2021 as part of the farm to fork strategy, outlines a set of actions to increase organic farming in the EU.

Its main goal is to boost organic production to reach 25% of the EU's agricultural land use by 2030. EU member states are encouraged to develop national organic farming plans.   

In July 2021, the Council adopted conclusions on the action plan. The main points agreed by EU ministers were:

  • organic farming is important for the sustainability of European agriculture
  • developing organic production helps secure incomes and create jobs
  • balanced demand and supply of organic products ensure profitability for the sector
  • specificities and different situations in member states need be considered when defining targets and interventions
  • involving public and private stakeholders is crucial to reaching the strategy’s goals

Food security plan

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the vulnerability of Europe’s food chain to severe supply challenges. In November 2021, the Commission published a communication outlining a contingency plan to ensure food security in Europe during crises.

During the December 2021 Agriculture and Fisheries Council, EU ministers approved conclusions on the plan recognising the need to future-proof Europe’s food system against potential risks and crises. Ministers agreed that the lessons learned from COVID-19 should inform the EU’s approach to future disasters going forward.

The proposed measures aim to help the EU face up to challenges including extreme weather events, plant and animal health issues, and shortages of key inputs such as fertilisers, energy and labour. They include:

  • the creation of a European food security crisis preparedness and response mechanism (EFSCM)
  • the establishment of an expert group to help ensure the EU is fully prepared for potential food supply challenges

Global standards on food safety

In February 2022, the Council approved conclusions on food safety standards in international trade, calling for greater integration of sustainability concerns in the work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Set up in 1963 by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization, the global body provides a forum for negotiations on international food standards, guidelines and codes of practice. The EU and its member states are members of this body.

Carbon farming

Farming and forestry can play a key role in the fight against climate change by absorbing carbon from the atmosphere. In April 2022, the Council adopted conclusions on carbon farming, based on the Commission’s sustainable carbon cycles communication which was presented in December 2021, and aiming to encourage agricultural practices that help to capture carbon from the atmosphere and store it in soil or biomass in a sustainable way.

Climate-friendly practices may include:

  • planting hedges or trees
  • growing legumes
  • using catch crops and cover crops
  • practising conservation agriculture and maintaining peatlands
  • afforestation and reforestation

In the conclusions, ministers recognised the importance of providing financial support that offers sufficient incentive to farmers and foresters to encourage them to adopt these climate-friendly practices. 

Sustainable aquaculture

The EU is highly dependent on imports of fishery and aquaculture products. Yet there is potential for this sector to grow in the EU.

In July 2022, EU ministers approved Council conclusions calling for a sustainable, resilient and competitive marine and freshwater aquaculture sector in the EU.

Labelling of organic pet food

Prior to 2022, the requirements for organic pet food were generally set at national level. This meant that pet food could be labelled as organic even if not all the ingredients came from organic production.

A new EU regulation sets common rules on the labelling of organic pet food. It aims to:

  • make it easier for consumers to identify organic ingredients in pet food
  • ensure that pet food carrying the EU organic logo contains at least 95% organic ingredients
  • contribute to the development of organic production in the EU

The regulation was adopted by the Council in October 2023. 

New marketing standards for honey, jams and more

In April 2024, the EU adopted updated rules to improve consumer information on a number of agri-food products. This includes:

  • honey
  • fruits jams and marmalades
  • fruits juices and nectars
  • dehydrated milk

The update concerned a set of directives (called 'breakfast directives') whose goal is to promote a shift to healthier diets, help consumers make informed choices, and ensure transparency regarding the origin of products.

The Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on the new rules in January 2024. The final adoption by the Council took place in April of the same year. 

Feeding Europe: 60 years of common agricultural policy

Sixty years since its birth, the EU's common agricultural policy supports an open single market for EU agricultural food products, ensuring affordable prices, maintaining some of the world’s highest safety and environmental standards, and keeping rural communities vibrant. To celebrate this anniversary, we have collected testimonies from Europe’ farmers and beneficiaries. 

Illustration of EU agriculture

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Last review: 12 February 2025