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having regard to Article 39 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which lists assuring the availability of supplies, stabilising markets and ensuring that supplies reach consumers at reasonable prices as objectives of the common agricultural policy,

—

having regard to its resolution of 15 January 2020 on the European Green Deal (1),

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having regard to Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which recognise the right to food as part of the right to an adequate standard of living,

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having regard to the Commission communication of 3 October 2012 entitled ‘The EU approach to resilience: learning from food security crises’ (COM(2012)0586),

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having regard to the Commission communication of 12 November 2021 entitled ‘Contingency plan for ensuring food supply and food security in times of crisis’ (COM(2021)0689),

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having regard to the Commission communication of 23 March 2022 on safeguarding food security and reinforcing the resilience of food systems (COM(2022)0133),

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having regard to its resolution of 24 March 2022 on the need for an urgent EU action plan to ensure food security inside and outside the EU in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine (2),

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having regard to its resolution of 6 July 2022 on addressing food security in developing countries (3),

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having regard to Directive (EU) 2022/2557 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2022 on the resilience of critical entities and repealing Council Directive 2008/114/EC (4), which adds food production, processing and distribution to the list of sectors covered,

—

having regard to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World Reports, to the Global Report on Food Crises and the Global Nutrition Report, including the 2021 edition thereof, to the Right to Food Guidelines of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), to the Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition of the FAO Committee on World Food Security, to the FAO’s ‘10 Elements of Agroecology -Guiding the Transition to Sustainable Food and Agricultural Systems’ and to the 2014 Framework for Action for Food Security and Nutrition in Protracted Crises,

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having regard to the UN General Assembly resolution of 25 September 2015 entitled ‘Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’,

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having regard to the UN General Assembly resolution of 1 April 2016 entitled ‘United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016-2025)’, which aims to trigger intensified action to end hunger and eradicate malnutrition worldwide and ensure universal access to healthier and more sustainable diets for all people, whoever they are and wherever they live,

—

having regard to the Voluntary Guidelines of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security of 2012 and to the CFS Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems of 2015,

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having regard to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to how closely linked and integrated they are, in particular SDG 1 (end poverty in all its forms), and SDG 2 (end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture),

—

having regard to the UN Report of 30 December 2021 entitled ‘Seeds, right to life and farmers’ rights’ (A/HRC/49/43) by the Special Rapporteur on the right to food,

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having regard to the Commission communication of 9 November 2022 entitled ‘Ensuring availability and affordability of fertilisers’ (COM(2022)0590),

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having regard to the report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on the development of plant proteins in the European Union of 22 November 2018 (COM(2018)0757),

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having regard to its resolution of 13 December 2022 on a long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas –Towards stronger, connected, resilient and prosperous rural areas by 2040 (5),

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having regard the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee,

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having regard the opinion of the Committee of the Regions,

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having regard to Rules 54 of its Rules of Procedure,

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having regard to the opinion of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety and the Committee on Development,

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having regard to the own initiative report of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (A9-0185/2023),

A.

whereas on 24 February 2022 the Russian Federation illegally invaded Ukraine, which has had disastrous consequences, including a serious threat to global food security, with the most vulnerable countries being most at risk; whereas Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has seriously aggravated an already difficult and challenging situation in the agri-food sector, which is still recovering from the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and is suffering from the ongoing climate crisis and rising energy and fertiliser prices;

B.

whereas the effects of the crisis caused by Russian aggression against Ukraine have put food security and the resilience of the global food system at the centre of the political agenda; whereas European food production must therefore be considered a strategic sector and be placed on an equal footing with energy security, defence and the fight against climate change at the EU and international levels;

C.

whereas, according to the FAO, at the beginning of 2022 Ukraine and Russia accounted for nearly 30 % of global wheat and maize exports, while Russia was the world’s top exporter of fertilisers; whereas more than 30 countries, mainly in Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, depend on Ukraine and Russia for over 30 % of their wheat import needs; whereas Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is exacerbating this global food insecurity and could lead to a further 8 to 13 million people suffering food insecurity, according to FAO simulations;

D.

whereas the common agricultural policy (CAP) has made a positive contribution to strengthening the CAP’s role of European agriculture in the 60 years it has been in place; whereas it should continue to do so in future with budgetary support that is sufficient and extensive enough to guarantee food security and supply in Europe;

E.

whereas the war against Ukraine and the significant increases in prices for inputs such as fertiliser, energy and feed resulting from the conflict, together with food speculation, are leading to significant cumulative distortions and tensions on global agricultural, fisheries and aquaculture markets, in particular for cereals, vegetable oil and livestock; whereas food production and access to food must not be further endangered and must under no circumstances be used as a geopolitical weapon, as this will have an impact on economies worldwide, especially on citizens and the most vulnerable in society;

F.

whereas the first food riots that broke out in Arab countries in 2008 demonstrated how effectively food can be used as a weapon to cause geopolitical instability;

G.

whereas not only consumer food prices but also household incomes are crucial drivers of food security; whereas, when faced with unprecedentedly high food prices, lower-income households, which spend a large share of their budget on food, can be obliged to choose more unhealthy and less diverse foods, making them particularly vulnerable to the risk of non-communicable diseases linked to poor diets;

H.

whereas although food prices are high, they are not offsetting production costs for EU farmers and agri-cooperatives; whereas their production costs have been increasing exponentially over the past year due to soaring energy and packaging prices as well as availability and price issues with fertilisers and machinery;

I.

whereas according to the International Grains Council, Russia and Ukraine accounted for 8,6 % of global grain production, excluding rice, and 24 % of exports in the 2021 harvest year; whereas as a result of the war being waged by Russia against Ukraine, disruptions and bottlenecks in critical infrastructure, in particular transport and storage facilities for agricultural products, are restricting the movement of food, feed and other agricultural products, in particular cereals and oilseeds from the Black Sea; whereas prices on global agricultural markets had already risen prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, partly due to climate impacts and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic;

J.

whereas transport and storage infrastructures are essential for ensuring efficient and secure trade flows, supplies and market stability; whereas any disruption to these may affect previously reasonable consumer price levels; whereas food security goes beyond agriculture and food production and has impacts on several areas, not only on primary producers and consumers, but also on the wider economy, trade, development and humanitarian efforts, and on social and regional cohesion;

K.

whereas the Commission should use all possible means to ensure that the European single market functions well; whereas the Commission should step up its efforts to address all agri-food related barriers in the single market, including the unblocking of transport bottlenecks;

L.

whereas according to the FAO, the concept of food security is not limited to food production, but also includes the dimensions of availability, accessibility and stability, and also encompasses the internationally recognised human right to food and affordable access to healthy and nutritious diets for all; whereas no human right is so frequently breached;

M.

whereas healthy and balanced nutrition makes a positive difference to people’s lives and enables the equitable and sustainable development of society; whereas consumers are increasingly opting for healthy and safe food choices, sustainable products, transparency in the supply chain, better traceability of all production and distribution processes on the basis of their right to more information on the origin and production methods of the foodstuffs they consume;

N.

whereas access to safe and healthy food for all is an internationally recognised right; whereas it is essential for society to focus on food availability and affordability for all, given their social, economic, environmental implications and consequences as well their effects on human health;

O.

whereas the right to food is a fundamental human right; whereas Sustainable Development Goal 2 aims to eradicate hunger by 2030; whereas the EU should champion the right to adequate food as a priority for food systems in order to achieve food security and improve nutrition;

P.

whereas according to the UN Report entitled ‘Seeds, right to life and farmers’ rights’ by the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, the right to food is inherently tied to farmers’ seed systems and their indivisible right to freely save, use, exchange and sell farm-saved seeds; whereas Team Europe should support programmes that take the needs of farmers’ seed systems or informal seed systems into account and support seed banks or seed libraries that allow farmers and gardeners to collect, conserve and share native seeds, landraces and varieties;

Q.

whereas the food crisis respects no borders and no country can overcome it alone; whereas there is an urgent need for joint action and solidarity;

R.

whereas as a result of the global supply crisis, the FAO estimates that international food and feed prices have risen to levels unprecedented since the FAO began carrying out price analyses and above their already high levels, even for products for which no price increase was justified; whereas food price inflation reached 17,26 % in October 2022; whereas many people in the world are at risk of food shortages, hunger and food becoming unaffordable; whereas in order to identify, prevent and eliminate food speculation that contributes to food price volatility, operators along the food supply chain need to be more transparent about their share of value added, which would increase overall market transparency;

S.

whereas global food insecurity is not primarily caused by supply shortages but by conflicts, unequal food distribution, unaffordable food and global supply chain disruptions; whereas increasing food prices mostly affect families on low incomes, who spend the largest proportion of their income on food; whereas it is essential to analyse the factors driving up prices for agricultural inputs and the effect this has on the increase in food prices;

T.

whereas one in three people worldwide still do not have access to adequate, sufficient food and healthy nutrition; whereas 2,3 billion people in the world were moderately or severely food insecure in 2021; whereas many of these people are employed in agriculture; whereas according to the WFP, acute food insecurity affected a record 349 million people in 2022;

U.

whereas hunger and food insecurity are increasing across the world and many countries are significantly off track to meet the zero hunger target by 2030; whereas malnutrition is a lifelong burden for individuals and societies, as it prevents children from reaching their full potential and therefore curtails human and national economic development;

V.

whereas the 1994 Marrakech Agreement and in particular the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Agriculture have contributed to agricultural regions specialising in the production of specific commodity crops, thereby creating path dependencies in production systems; whereas this situation is not resilient to crises, in particular since it leaves food-importing countries vulnerable to price shocks;

W.

whereas nature and biodiversity interact with agriculture, food and nutrition in a number of key areas by providing a variety of plants and animals from domesticated and wild sources;

X.

whereas crop biodiversity is important as it allows individual farmers to adapt their agricultural planning to climate conditions and makes food systems naturally more resilient to climate change, pests and pathogens; whereas, at the same time, this nature-based approach contributes to enhancing biodiversity; whereas a number of innovative projects have been set up by some non-EU countries, such as the Great Green Wall initiative in Africa, which promotes agro-ecological projects; whereas EU support for sustainable food systems is one of the priorities of the multiannual indicative programmes adopted with around 70 partner countries under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) — Global Europe instrument for 2021-2027 period;

Y.

whereas the availability of food varies due to economic shocks, climate, seasonality and disruptions; whereas the EU has to invest in the resilience of the agri-food sector and achieve a transition to more sustainable agriculture, which will strengthen long-term food security and could provide alternative sources of income for farmers; whereas efforts to combat global warming are required to ensure that agriculture is resilient and sustainable in the long term;

Z.

whereas 63 % of people on low incomes worldwide are employed in agriculture and the overwhelming majority of them work on small and medium-sized farms whose economic sustainability is currently threatened;

AA.

whereas according to World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) assessments, competition for the use of agricultural land and forests is increasing at the same pace as the growth in the world’s human population, which it is estimated will increase from 8 billion today to 9,5 billion by 2050;

AB.

whereas the present and long-term food security of the European Union is directly linked to the ambitions of the Farm to Fork Strategy and the Biodiversity Strategy; whereas the Farm to Fork Strategy outlined several important initiatives, including an EU contingency plan for ensuring the food supply and food security in times of crisis;

AC.

whereas ambitions of the Green Deal could make the EU food system fairer, healthier and more environmentally-friendly, as EU and global food security depends on resilient and sustainable food systems in the short and long term; whereas the cumulative effect of implementing Green Deal-related legislation must be to preserve EU food production capacity, involve a smooth transition as regards both timing and requirements and must not increase dependence on imports from third countries, all of which could jeopardise food security in the EU; whereas it is vital to earmark a sufficient public funding for the crop and livestock sectors so as to protect them against adverse effects and prevent a decline in EU food production;

AD.

whereas the implementation of the Green Deal should ensure a fair transition that guarantees adequate protection for farmers, especially small and medium-sized farmers, and sufficient amounts of safe and affordable farm products for consumers, in line with the EU’s long-term resilience and sustainability goals; whereas a sustainable livelihood for primary producers, whose income is still lagging behind, is central to the sustainable management of the current crises on the agricultural markets and to the lasting achievement of Green Deal targets;

AE.

whereas almost 34 % of European farmers were 65 or older in 2016; whereas the fact that many farmers will retire in the near future is a matter of great concern in a number of Member States; whereas generational renewal is one of the biggest challenges for the continued existence of a resilient agricultural sector and resilient food systems in the EU; whereas, while being an EU priority, the efforts made through the CAP have so far proved insufficient to turn the tide and therefore a broader set of policy tools will be necessary;

AF.

whereas young farmers in particular are innovative, especially in the use of new technologies; whereas, if properly remunerated, motivated and empowered, they are willing to make investments that may increase the agricultural sustainability, production capacity and competitiveness; whereas connectivity to high-capacity broadband networks is crucial for the modernisation of farms, increasing productivity and improving efficiency; whereas incentives are needed to promote IT training for farmers;

AG.

whereas the sharp and significant rise in global fertiliser and energy prices together with the sharp rise in other input costs is creating difficulties for farmers and threatening future crop production and thus food security and affordability; whereas in September 2022 the nitrogen fertiliser prices increased by 149 % compared to prices on the EU fertiliser market in the previous year; whereas in light of the current input and energy crisis the Commission must pay close attention to the economic situation of European farmers;

AH.

whereas current geopolitical challenges prove that food security is not a permanent achievement, that European food production should be considered a strategic sector and should be preserved and strengthened in this respect; whereas the correct functioning of the European single market is a precondition for ensuring food security; whereas all tariff and non-tariff barriers in the agri-food sector should be reviewed; whereas stronger, vibrant, resilient and prosperous rural areas and communities are key for Europe’s food security and autonomy and the prosperity of the European Union;

AI.

whereas agriculture is of great importance to the economy of the EU’s outermost regions, which often face a particularly fragile food security situation; whereas due to the nature of food security, the costs of reacting after the fact are higher than for intervening earlier on;

AJ.

whereas if the EU wants to avert destabilisation, food poverty, famine, social and political unrest in other countries, the Union has to develop a vision for ensuring food and nutrition security in the EU and contributing to food security at the international level;

AK.

whereas an estimated 20 % of all food produced is lost or wasted; whereas, more than 36 million people cannot afford a proper meal every other day; whereas the neediest population is increasing as a result of the current economic crisis;

AL.

whereas food companies involved in logistics and wholesale distribution, large-scale industrial production and processing have been identified as crucial entities whose resilience needs to be strengthened as they provide essential services; whereas wholesale markets are entities of public interest that provide vast regional and inter-regional areas with a service which is essential to the supply and distribution to the final consumer of fresh and perishable agriculture and fisheries products and which guarantees their quality and compliance with health standards; whereas, moreover, wholesale markets have already proved their resilience and the vital role they play by ensuring the continuity of food supply and distribution during the COVID-19 pandemic;

AM.

whereas only 11,9 % of all farm managers in the EU in 2020 were under 40 years of age, while 33,2 % of EU farm managers were aged 65 years and over; whereas the average age of European farmers has increased to 57; whereas in 2020 there were 5,3 million fewer farms in the EU than in 2005, a decrease of 37 %; whereas, the number of farm managers fell by 11,2 % between 2016 and 2020; whereas most EU Member States recorded an overall decline in the number of farm managers;

AN.

whereas women play a vital role in rural areas; whereas, with a view to countering the predicted decline of these areas in the EU, it is vital for women to be granted recognition and visibility for their work on and co-ownership of farms; whereas actions and measures are needed to also close the gender gap in the agri-food sector, and it is imperative to involve women in the decision-making process at all levels when developing plans and policies;