PARIS —The EU Farm to Fork Strategy aims to create a more equitable, healthy and environmentally friendly food system. It’s also a quiet revolution for the bakery sector.
Didier Jans, secretary general of the International Association of Plant Bakers (AIBA), highlighted the importance of the Farm to Fork Strategy in his presentation today at iba.CONNECTING EXPERTS, a virtual tradeshow being held Oct. 25-28.
The Farm to Fork Strategy is part of the European Green Deal, a sweeping political agenda designed to boost the economy, improve people’s health and quality of life, and kickstart climate action. But it’s not just affecting Europe. As concerns around climate change intensify, these policies may become a case study for overhauling the North American food system, too.
“The anticipated business impact for the bakery sector requires proactive attention,” Jans said. “The Farm to Fork Strategy will deeply transform the food system as we know it.”
With broad and interconnected goals, no industry will be left untouched by the initiative. Jans emphasized that the baking industry should understand the strategy’s main targets and ongoing developments to adapt to the future of food.
The Farm to Fork Strategy will rely on both regulatory and non-regulatory initiatives to ensure the sustainability of food production; ensure food security; stimulate sustainable food processing, retail, hospitality and foodservice; promote sustainable food consumption; reduce food loss and waste; and combat food fraud across the supply chain.
“This strategy actually impacts every single level of the bakery value chain, from raw materials, manufacturing, packaging and labelling, logistics, retail, all the way to the consumer,” Jans said, before sharing AIBA’s plan to meet challenges every step of the way.
“This strategy actually impacts every single level of the bakery value chain, from raw materials, manufacturing, packaging and labelling, logistics, retail, all the way to the consumer.” —Didier Jans | secretary general | International Association of Plant Bakers
On the raw materials level, there is a favor for organic farming and an overall trend to shorten supply chains and make them more local.
On the manufacturing level, a proposal has been announced for a new sustainable food system framework. EU Food Law has been focused more on safety in recent years, but this new proposal is shifting it more toward sustainability. One way this will be put into practice is with enhanced certifications and labeling on the sustainability performance of food.
“This can also touch various aspects, like reformulation, reducing environmental footprint, reducing packaging, etc,” Jans said.
On the packaging and labeling levels, the baking industry can meet these challenges by looking to the Circular Economy Action plan. It promotes cutting down on packaging waste, as well as more effective packaging to reduce food waste. It also highlights harmonized front-of-pack nutrition labeling, accountability for “green” claims and extensions of mandatory origin indications, which help consumers map the lifecycle of a given product.
On the logistic and retail levels, the Farm to Fork Strategy does not list specific actions yet. But Jans points out how companies can shift to smart and sustainable mobility, as well as improving the interface between production and consumers.
While this “quiet revolution” is ongoing, the AIBA roadmap serves as a jumping-off point for companies to adapt and meet the challenges of creating a better food system for all.
