The following is a translation of an article written by Bettina Tóth, a research fellow at the Europe Strategy Institute of the University of Public Service, originally published on the Five Minutes Europe blog of Ludovika.hu.

The European Commission has unveiled its new concept for Europe’s agriculture and food industry, which sets out a comprehensive vision for the development of European agriculture and food. Professional environmental and climate protection organizations say the steps are not enough, but that is probably not what the decision-makers have set out to achieve.

The European Commission unveiled its Vision for Agriculture and Food strategy in February 2025, aiming to create a more attractive, competitive, resilient, sustainable, and equitable agri-food system for European farmers and food operators. Among other things, the strategy responds to the growing challenges facing the agricultural sector, such as environmental requirements, the digital divide, the ageing of farmers, and increasing global competition from imported products.

The strategy identifies four main priority areas:

• Building an attractive agri-food sector;
• Fostering a competitive and resilient sector;
• Providing the conditions for a future-proof sector;
• Focusing on food, fair living, and working conditions in rural areas.

Building an Attractive Agri-Food Sector

According to the strategy, the agricultural sector can only be sustainable in the long term if it becomes an attractive career for new generations as well. The current situation is made more difficult by the fact that the average age of EU farmers is 57, while the proportion of farmers under 40 is just 12 per cent and still falling.

The Commission has approached this problem from several angles: it has proposed ways to attract young people into the sector through the Generation Renewal Strategy and has also developed a concept to ensure a stable income to combat unfair commercial practices. They also want to help farmers with new sources of income, such as targeted financial assistance, advice for young people, or carbon credits (offsetting emissions by supporting environmental projects, an activity often branded as greenwashing.)

The aim is for agriculture to provide not only survival but also economic stability and growth opportunities for future generations.

Fostering a Competitive and Resilient Sector

The global food market is increasingly competitive and European farmers are often at a disadvantage against cheaper imported products produced to lower standards. To counter this, the EU:

• aims to introduce more uniform production requirements for imported products to ensure that they also comply with EU rules (eg pesticide use, animal welfare);
• will promote the export of European agricultural products, opening up new markets for EU products;
• will introduce increased food safety controls to ensure that EU consumers are guaranteed safe products on the market;
• will launch a red-tape reduction programme in 2025 to simplify access to farm subsidies and reduce administrative burdens.

In addition to boosting competitiveness, food sovereignty is also a priority: the EU aims to avoid being vulnerable to global food crises. These ideas can, of course, have a positive impact on the European market, but it is not certain that this is solely an internal message. For example, the Commission’s stricter requirements for imported products, which could be determined on a case-by-case basis, could be aimed at discouraging US crops (eg soybeans) for reasons that are less technical than political.

Providing the Conditions for a Future-Proof Sector

The vision also outlined the introduction of reforms to reduce the ecological footprint of the agricultural sector along four main pillars:

• On-farm Sustainability Compass—a voluntary sustainability measurement system for farmers to help them become more environmentally conscious;
• A new EU Digital Agricultural Strategy—developing precision farming technologies, smart irrigation systems, and digitalization;
• A new water management strategy—introducing more efficient water use and water retention systems. Proposals are currently being sought from relevant stakeholders to make the strategy as practical as possible;
• Reduction of insecticide use, but only at a pace that ensures the availability of suitable alternatives.

‘It is apparent that policymakers have adopted a slightly different approach to climate protection from the EU’s approach to date’

The aim is for European agriculture to both secure food supply and reduce environmental pressures, thereby contributing to reducing the scale of climate change and adapting to its inevitable impacts. However, it is apparent that policymakers have adopted a slightly different approach to climate protection from the EU’s approach to date. Recent discontent (e.g. farmers’ protests) in the agricultural sector has provided sufficient grounds to rationalize the often contradictory and counterproductive policy choices made so far. Naturally, professional organizations have described the new vision as weak and inadequate, highlighting, among other things, the cautious steps taken to reform area-based payments. In preliminary discussions, experts agreed that income support should be withdrawn from the largest farms—this part, however, was eventually dropped from the final text.

Focusing on Food, Fair Living, and Working Conditions in Rural Areas

It is clear from the priorities presented so far that the Commission has placed a strong emphasis on social issues. A related aim is to ensure that rural areas are not just agricultural centres but also liveable, growing communities. Under the new Rural Action Plan, the following measures are foreseen:

• Developing rural infrastructure—fast internet, transport, and public services;
• Launch of an annual Food Dialogue Forum—a dialogue between consumers, farmers, and businesses on food market challenges;
• Reducing food waste and tightening animal welfare standards;
• Promote short supply chains to increase the role of locally produced products in public catering and retailing.

These measures can contribute to increasing the population retention capacity of rural areas and better social integration of the agricultural sector.

An Outlook to Hungarian Agriculture

The European Commission’s new vision for Europe’s agri-food sector sets out a comprehensive reform agenda that will have a significant impact on the Hungarian agricultural sector. A positive vision is that farmers can become more competitive, earn fairer incomes, and gain greater respect from society, while production becomes more sustainable and rural communities are strengthened. By supporting digitalization and innovation, the efficiency of Hungarian agriculture can be increased, and a focus on sustainability will contribute to preserving our natural resources and guaranteeing food security. Supporting young farmers and promoting generational change is particularly welcome, as it will secure the future of the sector as well as bring fresh impetus to the rural economy. The latter would be extremely important for Hungarian agriculture, as the average age of farm managers in Hungary is very high (57.9 years according to 2020 data), similar to EU statistics.

‘In the absence of concrete implementation steps, the vision can easily remain a mere expression of interest’

At the same time, the challenges should not be underestimated. Critics of the strategy point out that in the absence of concrete implementation steps, the vision can easily remain a mere expression of interest. The post-2027 reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will be key to delivering on these promises. In the short term, there will certainly be additional costs for the transition, as well as new investments required by digitalization or environmental compliance. In the long term, however, the implementation of this strategy could lead to a more viable and sustainable agricultural economy, capable of producing sufficient and safe food, preserving our rural assets, and remaining competitive in the face of the challenges of the 21st century.

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