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On 12/11/2021, the European Commission adopted a contingency plan for food supply and food security in times of crisis, in response to the ongoing coronavirus crisis, but also in line with the objectives of the European Green Deal, in particular the Farm to Fork strategy. According to the Commission, the contingency plan identifies several existing shortcomings and proposes measures to improve preparedness at EU level. For this purpose, the Commission shall establish a European Food Security Crisis preparedness and response Mechanism (EFSCM), it will be a group of food chain experts, coordinated by the Commission, to exchange data, procedures and strengthen coordination. The mechanism will be based on a group of experts bringing together representatives of the Member States and certain third countries and actors from all stages of the food chain, and on a set of rules and procedures to guide its operation. The group will meet regularly and in the event of a crisis, even in a very short time, and as often as the situation requires. The group will be operational in mid-2022 and should be operational by 2024, focusing on risk forecasting, assessment and monitoring (better preparedness by making use of available data, including weather and climate and market data) and on coordination, cooperation and communication (sharing information, best practices and national contingency plans, development of crisis management recommendations, coordination and cooperation with the international community).
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Member States unanimously supported the ban on the use of titanium dioxide in food during a meeting of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SCoPAFF) last month. The ban is expected to take effect in January 2022, but a transitional period of six months from the entry into force of the new legislation will be set for industry.
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A new study published in The Lancet Planetary Health, focusing on the effects of increased consumption of highly processed foods, confirmed the link between consumption of highly processed foods and rising greenhouse gas emissions. Consumption of highly processed foods, such as cold cuts, ready meals, margarines, confectionery, soft drinks, sweetened cereals, packaged pastries and foods containing artificial ingredients including sweeteners and flavours, has increased in the last thirty years, while consumption of unprocessed foods has decreased. The study showed an increasing impact of the consumption of highly processed foods on the environment, mainly due to the increased consumption of highly processed meat. According to the results, higher consumption of highly processed meat has doubled the impact of food consumption per person on the environment and is associated with up to 20% of total emissions related to food consumption.
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On 12/11/2021, the European Commission approved the launch of another insect species - the locust - as a novel food on the market in the European Union. The locust will be available in the form of a frozen, dried and powdered product, and will be marketed as a snack or food ingredient in several food products. Products containing this novel food will be labelled to indicate possible allergic reactions. The first authorization of insects as a novel food, for dried yellow mealworms, was received last July. In various studies, the Food and Agriculture Organization has identified insects as a highly nutritious and healthy food source high in fat, protein, vitamins, fibre and minerals. Insects, which are consumed daily by millions of people on the planet, have been identified in the Farm to Fork strategy as an alternative source of protein that could facilitate the transition to a more sustainable food system.
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The German Thünen-Institut has carried out an economic and environmental impact assessment of the introduction of eco-schemes in Germany. The institute focused on a realistic mapping of the extent to which individual eco-schemes are likely to be used and how they will affect farmers' incomes. The study was commissioned by the German Ministry of Agriculture. Various agricultural structures were included in the study, both in crop and livestock production. The assessed eco-schemes also included crop rotation on arable land (cultivation of at least five different main crops will be required, each main crop should account for a minimum of 10% and a maximum of 30% of arable land, the share of legumes should be at least 10%, cereals can be grown on a maximum of 66% of the land, maize and millet are excluded). According to the results of the institute, the introduction of a requirement to expand the set-aside area would have significant economic impacts. According to the results, in intensive livestock farming, strengthening the area temporarily set aside would increase costs by between €500 and €1000 per hectare, given the need to strengthen feed purchases and secure manure exports. The study also looked at the effects of shifting away from the use of plant protection products. According to the results, the largest reduction in yields, at 40-50%, could be expected for intensive crops of rape, sugar beet and potatoes. Yields can be expected to fall by 35-40% for most winter cereals, 30% for legumes and 15-20% for oats and maize.
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