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Farmers from a number of EU Member States protested on 20/02/2020 in Brussels to ensure an adequate budget and a balanced level of direct payments per hectare under the new CAP. Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš said that there are significant differences across European countries in the level of direct payments per hectare, so the rules regarding the functioning of all Member States in the EU single market are not fair. Farmers from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia therefore supported the achievement of external convergence (equalization of direct payments) by 2027 in their protest. However, farmers from Belgium, Ireland, Spain and Italy also protested against the CAP budget cuts. Representatives of the Spanish organization representing young farmers ASAJA stated that it is first and foremost necessary to focus on ensuring an adequate level of the CAP budget, not on the external convergence of direct payments; representatives of the Belgian Boerenbond also refused to move further towards external convergence.
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On 17/02/2020, the European Commission launched a public consultation on the Roadmap for the Farm to Fork Strategy. This time, the public consultation is not based on answers to specific questions; the aim is to get feedback from all stakeholders on the initial targeting of the Strategy. According to the Commission’s Roadmap, food systems contribute significantly to air and water pollution, and to climate change; agriculture must be more sustainable in terms of the volume of chemicals used; and consumers must be informed about the nutritional value of foods in order to facilitate the choice of healthier foods. So far, 21 responses have been sent to the consultation, many of which have been added anonymously. According to the European Coordination via Campesina (ECVC), representing small European farmers, the success of Farm to Fork Strategy and the European Green Deal depends on a fundamental reform of the CAP and on trade policy with third countries; European Organisation of Agricultural, Rural and Forestry Contractors (CEETTAR) proposes to strengthen the role of entrepreneurs and suppliers throughout the chain. Some of the anonymous contributions mention too high production and consumption of meat and dairy products (contribution from Ireland); reducing greenhouse gas emissions, protecting biodiversity or enhancing carbon sequestration (Belgium); but also propose ambitious targets, such as achieving 50% of the total farmland managed under organic and agro-ecological farming by 2050, reducing all synthetic pesticides by 80% by 2030 and eliminating them completely by 2050, or a commitment to abandon cages. The public consultation is open until 16/03/2020.
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Last week, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Janusz Wojciechowski reiterated its support for the CAP budget beyond 2020. He said the new Farm to Fork Strategy must lead to a significant strengthening of the sustainable development of the agricultural sector in the EU. Farm to Fork rules must, however, be set fairly across Member States - agricultural reality, according to Wojciechowski, is fundamentally different in terms of production intensity, the amount of pesticides, fertilizers or antibiotics used. According to the Commissioner, these differences must be taken into account when planning the next steps. The Commissioner also stated that the Action Plan for Organic Farming should be presented either at the end of 2020 or early 2021. According to Wojciechowski, the development of organic farming will be one of the main tasks of the Commission of the CAP and the Environment and Climate Action. It should also include support for organic production, strengthening the market share of organic food and enhancing production diversity. The Commissioner also stressed the need to address rural depopulation, generational change, and external convergence of direct payments.

Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides said last week that the European Commission is still working on a Communication on the Farm to Fork Strategy, which should be published in the week 25-31/03/2020. Reducing the amount of chemicals used in agriculture should be one of the key priorities of the Strategy, and other key priorities should be food labelling to provide consumers with easy access to food information. One option could be the NutriScore labelling system, however, according to Kyriakides, labelling should in any case be harmonized at EU level.
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Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides said last week that the new Farm to Fork Strategy will propose legislative and non-legislative steps for the future, based on three main pillars - reducing pesticides, reducing fertilizers and antibiotics, and strengthening food information to consumers. According to Kyriakides, the Commission will set realistic targets for the planned reduction. One of the main tools for achieving the objectives of the Strategy should then be the Common Agricultural Policy. According to the first version of the Communication on the Strategy leaked last week, the Commission should, within a few years (not yet specified), set a mandatory target for reducing the volume and risks associated with the use of synthetic chemical pesticides; the process of achieving the target will be monitored annually by the Commission and for each Member State. The Farm to Fork Strategy should also set a percentage target for strengthening the area under organic farming and targets for reducing antibiotics and mineral and organic fertilizers. The Commission should also present a legislative proposal to harmonize the nutrition labelling on the front of food packaging, not yet explicitly mentioning NutriScore support. From the initial document, it seems that the Commission will set targets mainly for 2030. The European Commission could also focus attention on promoting plant alternatives to animal products - according to the Commission changing dietary habits for a healthier diet, including the shift from animal protein to plant protein can not only reduce the risk of developing life-threatening diseases such as cancer, but can also reduce the environmental impact of the food system.