The EU ‘Farm to Fork’ (sustainable food) strategy is “tentatively scheduled” to be published at the end of April, according to the European Commission.

This is a postponement of more than a month from the original publication date of the end of March.

The new date of April 29 will also be the publication date of the commission’s biodiversity strategy.

In a brief comment on the matter, a spokesperson for the European Green Deal Team at the European Commission said:

Work on the ‘Farm to Fork’ and biodiversity strategies is ongoing and they will be presented in the coming weeks.

“In our new indicative calendar, both strategies are tentatively scheduled for Thursday, April 29,” the commission representative added.

Draft strategy

In a draft of the ‘Farm to Fork’ strategy – seen by AgriLand – it is noted that the European Commission will work with member states to “ensure that the post-2020 CAP [Common Agricultural Policy] national strategic plans adhere to a concerted and ambitious approach, including on pesticides, fertilisers and antibiotics”.

The draft also highlights that the commission “will take actions to reduce the use and risk of synthetic chemical pesticides, including through a targeted revision of the relevant directive, enhanced provisions on integrated pest management and greater use of other ways to protect harvests from pests and diseases”.

In order to improve biodiversity and the quality of ground and surface water and soil, actions will be taken to prevent [nitrogen and phosphorous-based] fertilisers’ pollution and to achieve sustainable water management.

The draft notes, on the topic of antimicrobials, that the commission is “implementing legislative measures to reduce the use of antimicrobials in livestock farming and aquaculture”.

“Improving animal welfare contributes to reduction in antibiotics’ use and thus benefits both humans and animals,” the draft paper says.