EUROPEAN GREEN DEAL – What does say the European Commision on the new action plan for the development of organic production ?
22 avril 2021
Based on the results of the last action plan which has just ended (2014-2020) and the public consultation which took place from September to November 2020, the new action plan for the development of organic farming was presented by the European Commission on March 25th.
The aim of the European Green Deal is to achieve a climate neutral and economically sustainable in Europe by 2050.
The organic farming has an essential role to play.
The main objective of the new 2021-2027 action plan is to obtain 25% of the agricultural area under organic cultivation by 2030, in accordance with the “farm to fork” strategy.
That being said, each member state is invited, in parallel with the objectives set in the plans under the CAP, to establish a specific national plan according to its situation and its particularities.
Indeed, if 8.5% of the European agricultural area is currently organic, significant differences persist between the different countries, ranging from 0.5% to more than 25% in the best case.
The new action plan is organised along three axes that aim to :
- Encourage the consumption of organic products
- Increase organic production
- Improve the sector’s contribution to sustainability
Small overview, not exhaustive, of each of these 3 axes :
Axis 1 – Organic food and products for all : stimulate demand and ensure consumer trust
8 actions will make it possible to better inform consumers, to communicate on the European logo and on organic production, to promote the consumption of organic products within households but also in the public sector, such as in school canteens.
This axis also provides for actions against fraud, improvements to the traceability system through further digitization, as well as greater encouragement to private sector contribution.
Axis 2 – On the way to 2030 : stimulating conversion and reinforcing the entire value chain
9 actions will be pursued through the CAP but also the involvement of each member state for the development of organic farming on its own territory.
The aim is to: share knowledge and practices, support research and innovation, publish reports on the progress of production and on imports from third countries, improve traceability and transparency, facilitate certification for farmers’ groups and encourage local processing and short trade circuits.
In this area, it is also a question of enhancing animal feed welfare, helping obtaining sources of proteins, vitamins and other additives but also of encouraging the organic aquaculture sector, a recent sector which has important potential development.
Axis 3 – Organic leading by example : improving the contribution of organic farming to sustainability
The last 6 actions will aim in particular to improve animal welfare, guarantee the availability of organic seeds, reduce the carbon footprint of the sector, reduce the use of plastics, water and energy.
In order to raise awareness on organic farming, the European Union is also planning to organise a yearly EU-wide Organic Day!
For the full text of the Action Plan, please click on this link