Humane Society International/Europe urges MEPs to support the Farm to Fork Report without further amendments in this week’s plenary vote
Brussels (18 Oct. 2021) — In advance of the European Parliament Plenary vote on a report concerning the European Commission’s Communication on “A Farm to Fork Strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system,” Humane Society International/Europe has appealed to MEPs to resist attempts to water down the text that was adopted last month by the Parliament’s Committees on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety and on Agriculture and Rural Development.
Dr Joanna Swabe, HSI/Europe’s senior director of public affairs, notes:
“While the Farm to Fork report as adopted in committee could have been considerably stronger, we recognise that it is the product of lengthy negotiations between the political groups. It is also a remarkable result given that from the outset the agricultural lobby has done its utmost to undermine the Commission’s ambitious plans to radically overhaul the existing food system in a desperate bid to maintain ‘business as usual’, particularly with regard to the overproduction and consumption of meat and other animal products, and the necessary transition to more sustainable plant-based diets.”
Just a few days before the plenary vote, leaked documentsexposed the cynical disinformation campaign being waged by Copa-Cogeca, the EU farm lobby group, to weaken the Farm to Fork strategy, as well as to get tomorrow’s vote postponed in order to win more time to try to influence the vote. Lamentably, a retrograde group of MEPs have requested a slew of split votes in a last-ditch attempt to remove parts of the text. For example, they seek to delete language on the link between intensive animal production and the transmission of zoonotic disease. This issue was just one of the ‘red lines’ that was listed in the leaked industry documents, so it is patent that the MEPs are kowtowing to agribusiness.
HSI/Europe strongly urges MEPs to ignore these contemptuous attempts to impede progress on achieving a sustainable food system and to vote in favour of the Farm to Fork report as amended by the committees.
On balance, HSI/Europe is broadly satisfied with the Farm to Fork report as adopted at committee. Most crucially, the report backs an accelerated transformation away from intensive animal agriculture practices and recognises the need to address the density of farmed animal populations and greenhouse gas emissions relating to imported animal feed and food. It also advocates for the review of existing EU animal welfare legislation and reiterates its support for an end for caged confinement for farmed animals by 2027.
“In itself such a forward-thinking report is a major achievement, given how many of the colossal 2,295 proposed amendments to it were industry-driven efforts to cling on to the status quo. It is high time that the conflict of interests of MEPs who are responsible for deciding EU farming policy be properly addressed by EU lawmakers. There is sufficient evidencethat various AGRI committee membersreceive additional income from agricultural activities, including CAP funds. Having these foxes in charge of the henhouse provides a partial explanation for the general unwillingness to embrace systemic change in farming practices and to favour economic interests above progressive environmental protection and animal welfare,” says Dr Swabe.
In addition to the EU Farm to Fork Strategy, MEPs will also be voting on a report concerning the EU Methane Strategy and debating the upcoming UN COP26 Climate Change Conference with the European Commission. The EU Methane Strategy report also addresses the need for a dietary shift to increase the consumption of plant-based foods and to tackle the overconsumption of meat, given that this will also benefit both the environment and animal welfare.
Dr Joanna Swabe, senior director of public affairs at Humane Society International/Europe: jswabe@hsi.org;
Yavor Gechev, communications director at Humane Society International/Europe, ygechev@hsi.org;
With a presence in more than 50 countries, Humane Society International works around the globe to promote the human-animal bond, rescue and protect dogs and cats, improve farm animal welfare, protect wildlife, promote animal-free testing and research, respond to natural disasters and confront cruelty to animals in all of its forms. HSI's U.S. affiliate the Humane Society of the United States take on puppy mills, factory farms, trophy hunts, animal testing and other cruel industries. Learn more about our work at hsi.org. Follow HSI on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
