The agriculture and food Commissioner-designate for the EU, Christophe Hansen, has faced criticism for his perceived focus on agriculture over broader food-related issues. While he has committed to presenting a comprehensive vision for agriculture and food within the first 100 days of his mandate, stakeholders believe that his initial responses to MEPs lack attention to food consumption and affordability. Some feel that there is an overemphasis on supporting farmers, with insufficient focus on the competitiveness and resilience of the EU’s food and drink industry, particularly food manufacturers.
Hansen’s responses have disappointed some stakeholders, who were hoping for more attention to the food sector. The European consumer organisation BEUC and EU food manufacturers organisation FoodDrinkEurope have expressed concerns that Hansen’s vision seems to be farmer-centric, rather than taking into account the challenges faced by the food industry, including SMEs and micro-enterprises. While agricultural issues have been prioritized in recent political trends, there is a hope that Hansen will address the needs of the food and drink industry in his upcoming approval hearing.
One key issue for Hansen is the livelihood of farmers, particularly in terms of their negotiating power and market transparency. He has committed to strengthening farmers’ bargaining power to prevent them from having to sell below production costs. This may involve reviewing the Unfair Trade Practices directive to address power imbalances in the food supply chain. However, retailers’ lobby group Eurocommerce has warned against re-polarizing the food policy debate and emphasized the importance of a balanced representation of the entire value chain in addressing farmers’ incomes.
Stakeholders are also concerned about the lack of commitment to a sustainable food systems framework, which was a major goal of the previous Farm to Fork strategy. Dropping this sustainable food systems law could be seen as misguided, as it is essential for providing legal clarity, balancing obligations across the supply chain, and establishing science-based standards to support sustainability. The legislative process for the Unfair Trade Practices directive revision is expected to be challenging, with Hansen appearing to prioritize support for farmers. However, Eurocommerce has highlighted the important role that the retail and wholesale sectors play in maintaining a competitive and resilient Europe, as well as advancing the sustainability transition in the food industry.
Overall, there is a concern among stakeholders that Commissioner-designate Hansen’s focus on agriculture may be at the expense of broader food-related issues and the needs of the food and drink industry. There is hope that Hansen will balance the needs of farmers and retailers in his approach to policies that impact the food supply chain. The upcoming approval hearing will be an opportunity for Hansen to address these concerns and demonstrate his commitment to supporting both farmers and the food industry in the EU.
