The European Commission believes the EU must take a new direction with its livestock farming. Whereas the focus in recent years has primarily been on the climate and environmental impact of the livestock sector, food security, strategic autonomy, and a strong agricultural sector should now be central.
Indispensable
With the new European livestock strategy, Brussels presents the animal and meat sector as an indispensable link in food supply, the economy, and rural vitality. The Commission explicitly opts to support the sector and no longer assumes further reduction of livestock numbers as a starting point.
This change of course is linked to the desire to make Europe less dependent on imports of animal feed and other protein-rich nutrients. A new European feed and protein plan aims to increase the cultivation of nutritious crops within the European Union, thereby reducing reliance on imports of animal feed (read: South American maize and soy).
Promotion
Vague
The strategy outlines the direction for the coming years but contains hardly any concrete elaborations. No new subsidy schemes for farmers are announced. Concrete measures to reduce air and environmental pollution caused by livestock farming are also absent.
Air Pollution
Regarding methane emissions, the European Commission does not opt for new reduction targets. Instead, it wants emissions at the farm level to be measured more accurately. Farmers who produce less emissions through modified feed or breeding could be rewarded (read: Brussels leaves this to the EU member states).
The Commission does emphasize a more resilient sector. More attention will be paid to combating animal diseases, including better prevention, faster detection, and vaccination. Additionally, possibilities to financially better protect farmers against the consequences of major outbreaks of animal diseases and other crises are being explored.
Change
The new livestock strategy marks a clear shift in the European approach to livestock farming. The emphasis moves from new restrictions to food security, strategic autonomy, and economic strengthening of the sector. At the same time, criticism remains that the plans contain no concrete steps to truly reduce environmental and air pollution caused by livestock farming.