EU Commission sets Green Deal aside in new agri-food vision

The new approach to agri-food policy presented by the EU Commission on Wednesday focuses on simplifying regulations and making farming an attractive profession once again, rather than raising environmental standards.

With this shift, the Commission moves away from its controversial Farm to Fork strategy, which was the agri-food component of the previous mandate’s flagship policy, the European Green Deal.

Although ambitious, Farm to Fork set reduction targets that were difficult to implement, such as halving pesticide use by 2030. “The way of working has clearly changed toward achieving necessary reductions in a different way,” Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen said during a press conference.

The decision to step back from the previous policy follows criticism from farmers, who argued the strategy deepened polarisation within the agriculture sector.

Instead, the new vision aims to revitalise farming, ensuring it remains competitive, and capable of providing fair livelihoods for them. “We need an approach that rewards farmers rather than to put too much pressure on them,” said Hansen.

Central to the new approach is the Commission’s latest buzzword: simplification. Efforts will begin with streamlining the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the massive EU farming subsidies programme currently worth almost a third of the total EU budget.

Bye-bye, Green Deal

While environmental considerations remain, they are no longer the central focus as they were in the Farm to Fork strategy. In particular, the most ambitious elements of the previous strategy, the overhaul of the EU’s pesticide framework, have been officially abandoned.

First tabled in June 2022, the so-called Sustainable Use of pesticides regulation (SUR) was withdrawn in February 2024 amid a growing right-wing backlash against the European Green Deal and widespread protests of furious farmers.

“There is no intention to do anything specific on sustainable pesticides here,” explained an EU official.

Similarly, other contentious plans for mandatory front-of-package nutritional labelling, such as the colour-coded NutriScore system, have been dropped in favour of labels indicating product origin and animal welfare standards.

Not much on new Common Agricultural Policy

Despite the policy shift, the new vision offers little on CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) reform, beyond reiterating older, unrealised proposals such as degressivity and capping.

These measures aim to make subsidy distribution fairer by allocating more funds to small farmers and reducing payments to large agricultural enterprises.

The direct payment system, which accounts for roughly 75% of CAP funding, has long been criticised for disproportionately benefitting large-scale farms. However, there are no concrete changes outlined in the vision.

A stronger stance is taken on Europe’s strategic autonomy, with an emphasis on prioritising the production of essential agricultural goods to enhance food sovereignty. 

The new CAP will direct more support toward farmers who actively contribute to food security, a position championed by the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), to which both Agriculture Commissioner Hansen and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen belong.

Farmer income: a priority

Ensuring a fair standard of living for farmers is another key element of the strategy. Many in Europe’s agricultural sector face financial uncertainty and a high risk of poverty, stressed the Commission in the document.

To address this, the EU executive plans to introduce a generational renewal strategy later this year, aiming to improve access to land, capital, and skills for young farmers.

Additionally, efforts will continue to strengthen farmers’ positions in the food supply chain, where they often struggle against powerful retailers.

The reform of Unfair Trade Practices (UTPs) will include ambitious measures to prevent farmers from being forced to sell below cost.

Trade

On trade, the vision maintains a balanced approach, highlighting the need for diversification of markets, expansion of export opportunities, and reducing dependency on specific suppliers.

The Commission will push for stricter alignment of production standards on imported goods, particularly regarding pesticide use and animal welfare.

As a guiding principle, hazardous pesticides banned in the EU for health and environmental reasons should not be allowed back into the market through imported products.