Will the European Green Deal Make Agriculture More Sustainable?

Abstract

The concept of sustainable agriculture involves meeting society?s current food and material needs without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same, and is a core theme of the green deal. Sustainability is closely linked to resilience, i.e. the capacity of food systems over time to provide sufficient, adequate, and accessible food to all, in the face of various and even unforeseen challenges. Food systems cannot expect to be resilient to challenges such as climate change and COVID-19 if they are not sustainable. Historically, solutions to produce more food sustainably focussed on bringing more land into agriculture, exploiting new or underutilised resources, and adopting new technologies. However, it is now recognised that we need to do more with less, and use what we have wisely and with the best scientific and ecological investments, especially in Europe. Pressures on land use from a growing population to build houses, transport, and infrastructure, as well as protecting habitats for recreation and biodiversity, mean that simply finding more agricultural land is not an option.