'Slow Food' calls for European Union (EU) agrifood trade overhaul; urges shift to agroecology, fair farmer incomes & shorter supply chains

Time of India

19-06-2025

BATHINDA: Slow Food, a global movement of farmers united by the goal of ensuring everyone has access to good, clean, and fair food, has called for a bold shift in European Union (EU) trade policy.
The organisation is advocating for policies that support agroecology and fair farmer incomes through a reformed Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), along with:
Environmental and social production standards on imported food through "
mirror measures
".
Shorter, fairer supply chains that empower local producers and communities.
Food sovereignty
and agrobiodiversity rooted in food cultures and inclusive governance.
As global food prices remain volatile and supply chains face increasing disruptions, Slow Food released a new policy brief on Wednesday, urging the EU to rethink its approach to food trade. The brief, titled 'What's the Deal? Making EU Agrifood Trade Work for Better Food Systems', explores how the current global trade model—based on deregulated markets, export-led agriculture, and corporate consolidation—is undermining the shift towards fairer and more resilient food systems, both in Europe and worldwide.
As a major global trading power, the EU plays a significant role in sustaining this flawed system. Its current agrifood trade policies are seen as hindering progress towards more diverse, equitable, and sustainable food systems, at home and abroad. The trade tensions of 2025, triggered by US tariff threats, highlighted the fragility of the global food system—one so unstable that the actions of a single government could push millions into hunger and poverty.
However, crises can also bring new opportunities.
'The fragile state of global food prices and supply chains is a direct result of a broken trade system. The EU must use this moment to shift towards agroecological, localised, and socially just food systems,' said Marta Messa, Slow Food Secretary General.
'Europe must stop outsourcing the true cost of its consumption. We need a trade policy that nourishes people—not just corporate profits.'
The policy brief begins by examining the failures of the current food trade system, rooted in colonial exploitation, deregulation, and the rise of powerful corporations. It identifies the causes of the crisis, including the industrialisation of agriculture, market liberalisation, and treating food as a simple commodity.
In response, Slow Food presents an alternative vision, grounded in agroecology, food sovereignty, and the relocalisation of food systems. It proposes three key reforms:
Enforcing mirror measures so all imported goods meet EU environmental and social standards.
Supporting a shift away from industrial animal farming towards agriculture that ensures better animal welfare.
Strengthening corporate accountability and promoting local food democracy to transfer power back to communities.