The 2021 EU Agricultural Outlook conference

8 - 9 December 2021. The 2021 EU Agricultural Outlook conference. The theme of this year’s event
was ‘Fit for 2030 – resilient EU agri-food systems and conference coincides with the release of the annual report on market prospects. 

The conference examined what we expect global agricultural markets to look like in 2030, in light of the political and market uncertainty currently facing the agricultural sector. Will food systems be more resilient following the Covid-19 pandemic? Will the new common agricultural policy effectively encourage farmers across Europe to embrace the green transition?

Senior representatives from EU bodies and international organisations, farmers, agricultural experts and rural actors discussed these questions, as well as the broader medium-term outlook for agricultural markets, income and environment.

The EU Agricultural Outlook conference has become a successful annual event for broad exchanges among stakeholders on market prospects in agriculture, including the political framework and uncertainties surrounding market developments in the next 10 years. Each year the conference coincides with the release of the annual report on market prospects.

Extract of the programme:

SESSION 2 - Making peace with nature: solutions for a planet in crisis

Keynote speech - Inger La Cour Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme

 

SESSION 3 – Setting the scene - the agricultural outlook in 2030

Highlights of the 2021 report “EU agricultural outlook for markets, income and environment 2021–2031” and the global perspective #83 p.  + Executive summary: EU agricultural outlook 2021-31 #8 p.

• Moderator: Tamsin Rose
• Tassos Haniotis, Acting Deputy Director General at the European Commission, DG Agriculture and Rural Development
• Beth Bechdol, Deputy Director General, FAO

SESSION 4 – Resilient EU agri-food systems: the farmers’ point of view

How do we measure resilience in agri-food systems?

• Miranda Meuwissen, Professor, Wageningen University Research

Short presentations/videos/inspiring examples: Sharing experiences to improve resilience of agri-food systems

• Simon Vetter, Farmer, Vetterhof
• Morgan Ody, , Farmer, Via Campesina ECVC
• Edina Ocsko, Coordinator of the Horizon 2020 FARMWELL Thematic Network

Panel discussion: Which are the key drivers to improve resilience of agri-food systems in the EU?

• Mihail Dumitru, Deputy Director General at the European Commission, Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development
• Agnieszka Maliszewska, General Director, Polish Chamber of Milk
• Cees Vermaan, Chair of the EC mission board ‘Soil, Health and Food’ and former Dutch Minister of Agriculture
• Francesca Hennig Possenti, Senior Lawyer at John Deere GmbH & Co. KG

SESSION 5 – Farming’s contribution to the “Fit for 55” package - Report

• PARALLEL SESSION 5A – Climate neutral farming systems
• PARALLEL SESSION 5B – Bioeconomy
• PARALLEL SESSION 5C – Organics
• PARALLEL SESSION 5D – The role of trade

SESSION 6 – General market situation
SESSION 7 - The agricultural outlook for arable crops and sugar
SESSION 8 - The agricultural outlook for specialised crops
SESSION 9 - The agricultural outlook for meat and dairy