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Last week, US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue warned of the possible impact of the implementation of the Farm to Fork Strategy on food prices in the EU and worldwide. According to Perdue, the implementation of the new strategy could lead to a doubling of global food prices, which is in direct conflict with the need to ensure sufficient affordable food for the growing world population. According to Perdue, the F2F stifles innovation, does not reflect dynamic market developments (Perdue emphasizes that we are now experiencing overproduction, which is affected by favourable weather conditions - it is therefore not safe to adopt such ambitious strategies in easy times), and jeopardize food availability for millions. people. According to Perdue, the objectives of F2F are not based on health or safety threats, but on a subjective decision by the Commission, which poses a major risk to the functioning of international trade. According to Perdue, the United States will in no way engage in foreign policies that restrict or ban its own production methods. According to the US Minister, Farm to Fork will also limit farmers in the use of modern technologies.
More information is available here.

On 08/10/2020, the European Parliament approved an EP legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2018/848 on organic production as regards its date of application and certain other dates referred to in that Regulation. The 2018 Regulation should be implemented 01/01/2021, with the aim of modernizing and harmonizing organic production rules, both for producers in EU Member States and for producers from third countries, who will have to comply with the same rules as producers in the EU. The new legislation simplifies production rules and strengthens control systems throughout the supply chain. Parliament approved the postponement of implementation by one year.
More information is available here.

On 08/10/2020, the European Parliament approved an EP resolution on a European Forestry Strategy. Parliament called on the Commission to include in the EU Forestry Strategy, which should be published in early 2021, appropriate instruments, with forest management models including environmental, social and economic sustainability, which means that forests and forest land need to be manage and use them to maintain their biodiversity, productivity, regenerative capacity, vitality and potential, so that they can perform not only now but also in the future relevant environmental, economic and social functions at local, national and global levels, and do not cause harm other ecosystems. According to the EP, the strategy should be in line with the European Green Deal.
More information is available here.

In the week after 19/10/2020, the European Parliament will vote on amendments regulating the use of names traditionally used for meat and meat products as well as for their plant-based substitutes. French Agriculture Minister Julien Denormandie supported the speedy adoption of a proposal to ban the labelling of plant-based alternatives with the same names as traditional meat products. In addition, Copa and Cogeca, Europe's largest agricultural organization, say the use of the same labelling will confuse consumers. Environmental organizations, on the other hand, are calling on Parliament to allow the same designations to be used for both traditional meat products and plant-based substitutes. The organizations therefore sent a letter to MEPs asking for support.
Opinion of Copa and Cogeca available here, letter from environmental organizations here.

On 05/10/2020, the European Commission issued a report on a short-term overview of the agricultural market in the EU. According to the report, the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the agri-food sector will be limited compared to other sectors. The main observable factors are the growing demand for local food, the use of short supply chains, and the purchase of food online. Milk and meat prices have recovered, and oil and protein crop production is estimated to increase. The exceptions are cereals and sugar, which have suffered from unfavourable conditions for growing crops.
More information is available here.