Guest article by the EU Food Policy Coalition
The EU Food Policy Coalition (EU FPC) brings together a wide range of NGOs working on food systems, including grassroots social movements, farmer and fisher organisations, trade unions, think tanks and scientific research groups. EU FPC participants work to integrate and harmonise policies at EU level to enable and facilitate the transition to sustainable food systems. The Coalition provides a forum for policy discussions and joint action.
Ahead of this year’s European Parliament elections, and recognising the growing importance and awareness of food and agriculture among EU citizens, EU FPC participating organisations came together to identify the voting records of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and the political groups to which they belong during the previous term (2019-2024).
From farmers’ fairness and access to healthy food, to agroecology, sustainable diets and animal welfare, people care about how their food is produced. European citizens are also increasingly aware that a socially, environmentally and economically unsustainable food system contributes to the climate crisis and the degradation of natural resources, while at the same time reinforcing social inequalities (including in farming communities) and undermining the health of Europeans.
To give voters a better understanding of MEPs’ voting behaviour on health, biodiversity, justice and fairness in European food systems, the EU FPC initiative provides an easy-to-use scorecard: the voting records of different MEP groups are collated into a comprehensive overview taking into account multiple vote outcomes, while grouping votes into five categories reflecting the main priorities of the EU FPC’s work areas:
Recognizing and supporting the need for a transition Access to healthy and sustainable food Social justice for farmers and citizens A transition to nature-friendly agriculture and agroecology A transition to ethical animal production
Want to find out more about the EU FPC’s work, our collaboration with EPHA or how MEPs have voted on issues related to food and agriculture systems over the past five years?
Please see here for the detail!
