Freshfel Europe sent a letter to the European Commission warning that the proposed redeployment of existing EU funds away from promotional ‘multi programme’ activities could threaten the competitiveness of EU fruit and vegetables and hinder the progress on promoting the health and environmental assets of fresh produce.

Freshfel Europe, on behalf of the European fresh produce sector, submitted a letter responding to the EU Commission’s proposal to drastically reduce the agricultural promotion policy budget over the next three years by EUR 281.7 million, resulting in a total budget cut of over 50 % for this popular CAP policy. Worryingly, the budgets for ‘multi programmes,’ which involve multiple Member States as well as the Commission’s own promotion projects in third countries, have been scrapped entirely, only leaving in place the so-called “simple programmes.”

Freshfel Europe expressed concerns regarding the impact this would have on the EU fresh produce competitiveness and the continuity of essential promotion and marketing activities co-funded by the EU budget. Philippe Binard, General Delegate of Freshfel Europe stated: “While the EU decreases its promotion budget, global competitors such as the USA continue to invest millions to promote American food and farm exports. This underscores the urgent need to keep a strong EU promotion policy to maintain our competitive edge globally.”

A lacklustre promotion policy will also significantly and negatively impact the EU’s efforts to inform society and consumers about health and environmental issues relating to food diet. The latest estimation of daily fruit and vegetable consumption level is estimated at 340 g per person. This is well below the WHO minimum health recommendations of 400 g, driven by healthy diet considerations to address the challenges of non- communicable diseases and obesity. Furthermore, the Nordic Council has recommended reaching a minimum daily consumption of 800 g of fruit and vegetables: 400g for health benefits and an additional 400 g to offset negative environmental impacts. Clearly, 340 g is insufficient to address pressing health and environmental challenges The EU’s promotion policy and its co-funding opportunities are essential for sustaining much-needed promotion and information activities to communicate about the high health benefits and the low environmental impact of fresh fruit and vegetables. The role of fresh produce as “essential” and “public” goods needs to be properly voiced.

With these challenges in mind, Freshfel Europe is highly concerned about the disproportionate decreases in the promotion policy budget, especially for multi programme projects. The fresh produce sector has always shown a strong and growing interest in participating in multi programme projects across all EU Member States, as demonstrated by the 52 % increase in applications between 2023 and 2024. Philippe Binard added: “In a time of growing geopolitical instability, with economic uncertainty impacting consumers’ purchasing power and attitudes, and the need to promote the social and environmental benefits of fresh fruit and vegetables, it is crucial for the EU’s fresh produce sector to be well supported in a more cogent, cohesive, and coherent manner than has been proposed.”

With this latest move, the Commission is once again demonstrating a lack of consistency, coherence, and ambition to accompany the Green Deal strategy towards a plant diet. It is also significantly undermining its desired transition towards a more sustainable food chain. Within already limited financial resources, the budget is one of the only tools that can drive consumer attitudes towards a better diet, in alignment with the Farm to Fork strategy and Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. Phillippe Binard commented: “This is a very short- term vision. This approach by the Commission ignores the indirect long-term huge financial burden on the healthcare systems due to unhealthy diets. The World Economic Forum estimates that EUR 2 is needed for each EUR 1 spent on food to remedy the cost of an inappropriate diet.” He concluded: “This budget redeployment is not only a very bad management choice in regard to the return on investment and efficiency of the promotion policy, but it will be financially very detrimental in the medium to long term for society.”

Freshfel Europe is calling on the Commission to review its position and not to undermine the effectiveness of a popular policy of its CAP. With the proliferation and acceleration of multiple crises impacting the agricultural sector, a strong promotion policy remains more relevant than ever for both the internal and international markets.

On the occasion of the two-day conference of the European Commission on the Agri-food promotion policy review (12-13 July 2021), Freshfel Europe is calling on European authorities to build on the momentum of the policy developments emerging from the Green Deal, the Farm to Fork Strategy, and the EU Beating Cancer Plan to promote fresh fruit and vegetables as part of the solution to climatic and health challenges. The aim is to shape an even stronger, more efficient, and better-funded policy to support European fresh fruit and vegetables to boost fresh fruit and vegetables consumption over the minimum WHO threshold of 400 gr/capita/day while also improving the competitiveness of EU fresh produce for exports to third-country markets.

The momentum to significantly stimulate production, trade and consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables is stronger than ever. COVID-19 pandemic has led consumers to include more fresh produce in their diets to boost their health and immune system. The United Nation’s celebration of 2021 as the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables is the perfect time for Freshfel Europe and the fruit and vegetables sector to speak up for the fresh produce sector and highlight the health and environmental benefits of fresh fruit and vegetables. The strong policy initiatives that started in 2018 through the Tartu Call for a Healthy Lifestyle and signed by three European Commissioners further contribute to the momentum. The Declaration has now been converted into more concrete policy initiatives where fruit and vegetables are considered as part of the solutions to current societal challenges, such as climate change and non-communicable diseases. This is well reflected in the ambitions and strategy of the Green Deal, the Farm to Fork Strategy, the EU Beating Cancer Plan, the upcoming reform of the fruit and vegetable School Scheme, and, most importantly, the current discussion on the reform of the promotion policy with clear views of Freshfel Europe on the relevance of this policy for fresh produce.

Freshfel Europe General Delegate Philippe Binard stressed: “More than ever before there is a momentum to change things significantly. Fruit and vegetables are only granted 3 to 4% of EU agricultural policy budget while contributing to 20% to the European agricultural value. In comparison, the meat sector received up to 53% of coupled agricultural support and milk and dairy 21%. It is time to spend agriculture budget more in line with societal expectations both from a health and environmental perspective” He added: “Fruit and vegetables are among the food baskets the products that best respond to these two ambitions. As the European Union is moving towards sustainable food production and consumption model, fruit and vegetables are an important component contributing to secure this ambition”.

For more than 20 years the sector has embarked in sustainable methods of production, using Integrated Production Method, precision farming and good agriculture practice, strict controls of plant protection usage, rigorous water management, minimizing packaging and many other initiatives to cope with environmental, social and economic sustainability. On the climate and environmental side, fruit and vegetables production are among the agriculture category with the lost CO2 emissions, good record in regard to energy and water usage, protection of biodiversity and restrictive usage of plant protection products and fertilizers. On the health side, the diversity of fruit and vegetables contributes to a healthy diet, full of fibres, vitamins, and nutrients which are important assets for an healthy lifestyle and prevention of many diseases based on a wealth of scientific studies.

It is to be reminded that figures demonstrate that fresh produce are primarily consumed locally and in season, as more than 60% of the fresh produce are consumed in the European Member States where they were grown, while trade -both intra EU and international guarantees the full diversity of the assortment and year-round supply. The efforts of growers to protect their crops and the good temperature control of the supply chain also contribute to minimize food lost and food waste.

The support for a strong promotion policy and the education of consumers towards a more plant-based diets was echoed by Freshfel Europe representative Simona Rubbi (CSO and Chair of the Civil Dialogue Group of Promotion and Quality of the European Commission) during the two days conference on the review of the promotion policy: “It is important for fruit and vegetable to rely on a strong and well-funded promotion policy. Today, the fresh produce sector receives around 30 Mio € of financial support every year for the promotion of EU fresh produce on the domestic market as well as on third-country markets. 15% of the EU promotion budget is therefore dedicated to fruit and vegetables”. She noted: “This is obviously insufficient if the ambitious objective of the EU is to radically change the diet and move towards a more sustainable and plant-based diet. This move should also keep in mind the benefit of a balance and diverse diet including other agriculture product. Securing half of the plate with fruit and vegetables and move over the minimum of 400 g per capita/day for all consumers is the objective. It will be a win-win solution, for the planet and for the health of its citizens alike and for the sector as this will imply to increase the fresh produce supply by close to 15 mio T”.

Freshfel Europe will continue to take the lead towards a more favourable policy-making for fresh produce. It is time to deliver and build on the current momentum by supporting the transition towards a sustainable system and shaping the new policies that best respond to the challenges of the sector. Finding ways to best position fruit and vegetables at the centre of a healthy and sustainable diet should be the main priorities of public and private stakeholders. It should be based on the strong partnership within the supply chain from production, to trade and down to retail and other food services segments and guarantee by the excellence, the quality, the freshness, the convenience and the diversity of all fresh fruit and vegetables made available to consumers on the European markets.