Thread by @F__Timmermans

Is food supply in the EU at risk due to Putin’s war against Ukraine? No

Is there a problem on global maize🌽and wheat🌾markets? Yes

Is this a reason to throw sustainability targets and #FarmToFork overboard? Definitely not

Here’s why 👇

The EU is largely self-sufficient for several key food products.

Production in 2022 of cereals, rapeseed, and sunflower is projected to surpass the previous 5-year average.

▶️ europa.eu/!wwBwMj

In fact, about ⅔ of cereals in the EU are used as animal feed. Human consumption accounts for the remaining ⅓ and biofuels take up 3%.

Meanwhile, 20% of EU food (about 88 million tonnes per year) is lost or wasted.

It’s clear that reduced production and uncertainty about exports from Ukraine and Russia carry significant risks for both food availability and affordability in Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia. Tackling this is a question of logistics and finance, not supply.

Stopping the transition to sustainable food systems in line with the #FarmToFork and #biodiversity strategies is not the solution, even though some may try to use Russia’s war on Ukraine as a pretext to do so.

With a 2°C temp⬆️wheat yields in parts of Europe could decline 10-50%. We are rapidly losing pollinators: 50% of EU land in need of pollination faces a deficit. Extreme droughts bring billions in damages, and soil erosion already costs €50 bn per year.

🌾europa.eu/!yRcJ8Y

While our immediate outlook is reassuring, we @EU_Commission remain vigilant: synthetic fertilizers’ high price can have an impact in 2023. This is another reason to optimize use and shift to precision farming and other sustainable practices. #CAP national plans must support this

In sum, EU food supply is currently not at risk. Scaring Europeans into believing that food might run out is incredibly cynical. There’s no need to add to people’s already high anxiety with false problems that serve to protect an unsustainable status quo