The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, today launched the strategic dialogue on the future of agriculturea new forum tasked with shaping a shared vision for the future of the EU’s agriculture and food system.
This strategic dialogue, which the president announced in her 2023 State of the Union address, will address the challenges and opportunities raised by the dialogue participants, such as a fair standard of living for farmers and rural communities , support for agriculture that respects the limits of our planet and its ecosystems, harnessing the enormous opportunities offered by knowledge and technological innovation and promoting a prosperous future for the EU food system in a competitive world.
He has been appointed president of this forum of future of agriculture to Professor Peter Strohschneider, for his extensive experience, in particular as Chairman of the “Commission for the Future of Agriculture” of the German Federal Government.
The strategic dialogue for future of agriculture It brings together key stakeholders from across the agri-food chain, including farmers, cooperatives, agri-food companies and rural communities.
As well as non-governmental organizations and representatives of civil society, financial institutions and universities. Following the founding meeting, which will take place in the first half of 2024, a series of thematic meetings will be organized.
The Council and the European Parliament will be involved in the process and the President, Professor Strohschneider, will regularly report and exchange views with both institutions on the dialogue.
Future of agriculture: a dialogue with different perspectives
By combining different perspectives, the dialogue aims to encourage the creation of new solutions and provide a common vision for the future of the EU agriculture and food sector between now and summer 2024. The President, in collaboration with the participants in the dialogue , will define the exact format of the conclusions.
In the words of Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission: “The time has come to forge a new consensus on food and agriculture among farmers, rural communities and all other actors in the EU agri-food chain.
EU farmers and the food industry provide our citizens with healthy, high-quality food. And they contribute fundamentally to our economy, particularly in rural areas.
They are also making a huge effort to contribute to our green and digital transitions; but, at the same time, they face a wide range of challenges: the climate change, inflation, market volatility, etc. With this strategic dialogue, a forum is being created to offer, for the benefit of all, a clear vision of the future.