The European Commission has established a new code of conduct for responsible business and trade practices in the agro and food sector. The code of conduct is part of the new EU strategy for financing sustainable energy.
According to EU Commissioner Frans Timmermans, dozens of companies and organizations have already joined the sustainability package.
The Dutch politician announced that the European Commission will present the proposal at the United Nations Food Systems Summit later this year in New York. That UN event is primarily dedicated to securing the future global food supply.
The new European code of conduct is a detailed implementation of the European Farm to Fork strategy, the food and agriculture part of the Climate and Green Deal. Reducing waste, achieving a climate-neutral food chain by 2050, and reducing the ecological footprint in the agro-food chain are its three main components.
According to Vice-President Timmermans, the EU must reduce greenhouse gas emissions and stop biodiversity loss due to food production in order to soon be able to shape a new food system.
The code of conduct was drafted by the European Commission together with other international organizations, NGOs, and trade unions. Among the signatories are 26 food producers, 14 retailers, consumer associations, and one company from the food services sector.
These associations and companies pledged to contribute to a sustainable transition and encouraged others to join the code, which European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides, regards as "an innovative solution."