LOCAL ORGANIC FARMING AT THE HEART OF THE EU GREEN DEAL
Uroš Brežan, Mayor of Tolmin, Slovenia, presented his working document on the EU Action Plan for Organic Farming in the NAT Commission meeting on Thursday 20 May, where he emphasised the crucial role of local and regional authorities in increasing organic farming.
During his intervention, Brežan described the ambitions of Gorizia region to become Slovenia’s first bio-region. The local agricultural sector is well organised and thriving, which attracts also young people into the farming sector.
When presenting his working document, Brežan emphasised that a sustainable food system is at the heart of the European Green Deal. By producing high-quality food with a low environmental impact, organic farming will play an essential role in developing a sustainable food system for the EU. Under the Green Deal’s Farm to Fork Strategy, the European Commission has set a target of ‘at least 25% of the EU’s agricultural land under organic farming and a significant increase in organic aquaculture by 2030’.
Brežan presented four main reasons as to why local and regional authorities should support the development of organic farming. Firstly, organic farming could boost rural economies, help maintain employment in rural areas and increase local expenditure as a result of shorter supply chains. Secondly, organic farming enables water conservation to coexist with farming in water catchment areas, bringing down also the cost of water processing. Thirdly, introducing organic products into mass catering enables all social groups to consume high-quality and healthy products, combatting nutritional and health inequalities. Finally, introducing more local organic production provides an opportunity for educational initiatives.
During the exchange of views, members of the NAT commission expressed strong support for ambitious targets and effective monitoring. They recognised the opportunities offered by organic farming as well as the key role of local and regional authorities in for example applying green public procurement, implementing quotas in mass catering and linking producers with consumers. A deep, wide-ranging reform of the Common Agricultural Policy with tangible and binding European targets was called for.
The 4th meeting of the NAT Commission was held remotely. Among the other topics discussed were the adoptions of two different opinions: New Consumer Agenda – Strengthening consumer resilience for sustainable recovery; and The Proposal for Resilience of Critical Entities.
You can find the working document on the EU Action Plan for Organic Farming here.