Recently Europe has seen unprecedented opposition to free trade agreements such as TTIP and CETA. Central to these protests were concerns that these new trade and investment agreements would have harmful impacts on food quality, consumers’ rights, farmers, producers’ income, as well as wider negative impacts on jobs and working conditions in the food sector.
Together with Corporate Europe observatory (CEO), European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions (EFFAT), European Milk Board (EMB) and European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), we started a debate on visions of a sustainable, healthy, fair food and trade policy.
In Friends of the Earth Europe’s vision, local food markets and short food supply chains flourish, local economies are strengthened, and there is decent work and fair prices in farming, processing and retailing. It is a vision in which regional production of feeds and other inputs is supported and prioritised over globalised production.
We hope that others will also contribute to this discussion and share their views for how the EU’s trade policies can build a more sustainable future for everyone.
See also: Setting course for sustainable trade – a new trade agenda that serves people and the environment
