It sets out a vision for Europe’s agri-food system for 2040 and beyond to secure its long-term competitiveness, attractiveness and sustainability.
It also emphasizes a new way of working based on trust and dialogue across the agri-food system, both in the EU and globally, deepening engagement with farmers, food chain operators, and civil society at local and regional levels.
Introduction
On 19 February 2025 the European Commission published the Vision for Agriculture and Food. It was proposed as a priority initiative for the first 100 days of this Commission’s mandate, led by Executive Vice-President Fitto and Commissioner for Agriculture Hansen, under the guidance of President von der Leyen.
This Communication builds on multiple strategic inputs, including notably the Strategic Dialogue on the future of EU agriculture, the Draghi Report on the future of European competitiveness, the Letta report on the future of the Single Market, and the Niinistö Report on how to enhance Europe’s civilian and defence preparedness and readiness.
The Vision aims to build an agri-food system that is attractive, competitive, sustainable and fair for current and future generations. It provides for broad guidelines and ambitions without specifying how they will be implemented, but listing a series of forthcoming strategic or legislative texts that will clarify this aspect.
4 priorities
The Vision is built around four main priority areas with simplification of EU rules, research, innovation and digitalisation as cross-cutting drivers.
1. Attractiveness – Making farming a viable and appealing career by:
- ensuring sufficient incomes to thrive and attract future generations;
- continuing producing food that is affordable for everyone and meets consumer demands;
- supporting entrepreneurial opportunities through innovation and the green transition;
- properly rewarding ecosystem services that benefit the environment;
- fair redistributing the costs and responsibilities of the transition across all actors along the chain.
Key actions:
- review the unfair trading practices rules and common market organisation (CMO) Regulation
- propose a fairer, simpler and targeted common agricultural policy
- enhance the EU Agri-food Chain Observatory
- present a bioeconomy Strategy
- build an ambitious investment agenda
- deliver a Generational Renewal Strategy
- launch an EU Observatory on Farmland
2. Competitiveness – Strengthening the sector’s position in global markets through:
- enhancing resilience through effective risk and crisis management, to withstand and recover from shocks but also to adapt and transform
- diversifying trade relations, by creating new export opportunities and thus reducing critical dependencies;
- simplifying policies, to alleviate the burden of bureaucracy;
Key actions:
- establish new agri-food policy partnership dialogues
- simplify the administrative burden on farmers and food businesses
- develop a plan to address protein supply challenges
- pursue a stronger alignment of production standards applied to imported products
- review the animal welfare legislation
- develop an ambitious Unity Safety Net for the EU agri-food sector
- call for a European risk and crisis management approach
- adopt a climate adaptation plan
- launch a long-term strategy on livestock
3. Future-proofing – Embracing innovation and sustainability for long-term resilience :
- to support the EU’s climate objectives, while preserving healthy soils, clean water and air, and protecting and restoring Europe’s biodiversity;
- Stakeholders along the food chain contribute jointly to delivering these results and share transition risks;
- All segments of the agri-food system operate in line with a One Health approach.
Key actions:
- offer a voluntary benchmarking for on-farm sustainability (on-farm sustainability compass)
- propose a Water Resilience Strategy
- accelerate access to biopesticides
- reward through the Carbon Removal and Carbon Farming
- launch an EU digital strategy on agriculture
4. Connection – Valuing food and fostering fair living and working conditions in rural areas (right to stay):
- by reconnecting food with territory, seasonality, and traditions;
- by continuing efforts to reduce food loss and food waste;
- with well-connected rural and coastal areas, including outermost regions;
- by attracting more women and young people to the profession;
- protecting workers’ rights on farms and along the food value chain, including mental health as part of the social support system;
- supporting agri-food SMEs.
Key actions:
- update the EU Rural Action Plan and strengthen the Rural Pact
- establish a Women in Farming Platform
- hold an annual Food Dialogue with food system’s actors
- strength the role of public procurement
- develop short supply chains
- review the EU school scheme
- enhance consumer awareness by the promotion policy
- promote further the uptake of geographical indications
Fostering trust and dialogue
Furthermore, the Commission aims to deepen dialogue and engagement with farmers, food chain operators, and civil society at local and regional levels. Existing stakeholder consultation mechanisms, including the Civil Dialogue Groups, will be revised to ensure more meaningful participation in policy design. The European Board on Agriculture and Food will provide strategic advice, while the EU CAP Network and Annual Youth Policy Dialogues will foster exchanges and youth inclusion. Additionally, the Commission will maintain continuous dialogue with EU institutions and key international organisations and partners. To ensure effective monitoring of the implementation of this Vision, the Commission will report regularly to all EU institutions on the progress regarding the successful delivery of the various initiatives.
