The CAP Have your say. Food and related issues. Erik Mathijs, KU Leuven Rapporteur. #FutureofCAP. Brussels, 7 July 2017

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2 The CAP Have your say Food and related issues Erik Mathijs, KU Leuven Rapporteur Brussels, 7 July 2017 #FutureofCAP

3 Scope of the workshop on food and related issues 1. What is to be learned from behavioural insights? 2. How to make the best of research, innovation & advice? 3. How to modernise the CAP in order to adapt to changes in consumer behaviour/expectations? 4. Should regulatory requirements be reinforced or incentives offered for voluntary measures to make the policy simpler and more effective? 5. How to avoid unintended consequences such as a possible redirection of supply from internal sources to imports? 6. What would a Common Food and Agriculture Policy mean?

4 Scope of the workshop on food and related issues Food is produced, distributed and consumed in systems designed to deliver food & nutrition security (FNS) for all citizens. Important food-related public health issues undermine FNS: food safety and nutrition-related health problems Can and should CAP be adapted to address these concerns? Food safety concerns = how farmers deal with pests and diseases regulating use of antibiotics, pesticides, etc. Nutrition-related concerns complexity of consumer behaviour.

5 Key questions To analyse these concerns in the framework of modernising and simplifying the CAP requires answering following questions: What influences food consumption and how can consumption patterns be changed? What may changes in food consumption mean for agriculture? How can the CAP help? Is a Common Food and Agriculture Policy needed?

6 What influences food consumption behaviour and change? Factors influencing behaviour: (Story et al., Annu. Rev. Publlic Health 29:253-72) Individual: cognitions, skills, biology, demographics Social environment: family, friends, peers Physical environment: home, work, restaurant, shops Macro-level environment: norms, industry, media, marketing, policies Mix of interventions aim at individual consumer and these environments: Enhance education (long-term effort) Nudging (physical environment) Novel technologies to support consumers to change behaviour.

7 What may changes in food consumption mean for agriculture? Link between agriculture and food consumption: complex and indirect. Notable expection: food marketing as promotional activities aimed at increasing the consumption of some foodstuffs dietary recommendations. Changes in food consumption implications for agriculture: increased consumption of fruit and vegetables and decreased meat consumption influence further development of these sub-sectors.

8 How can CAP help? Current CAP relatively well aligned with food safety standards Sense of urgency related to anti-microbial resistance warrants increased attention to the use of antimicrobials in agriculture: Exchange best practices in framework of higher level changes at national level Increase role of Farm advisory services in synergy with national reduction plans. Incentivise farmers to record use of anti-microbials and develop farm health plans

9 How can CAP help? CAP promotes healthy diets through CAP promotion policy and school schemes Food quality and short food supply chains initiatives have the potential to foster behavioural change. Particularly promising option is public procurement Mix of interventions is needed for lasting change: complement schemes need with awareness raising and education activities

10 Remaining question To what extent does CAP sufficiently facilitate farmers adaptation to new trends in general and changed consumer patterns in particular. To earn a sufficient income is key to the a resilient farming community.

11 Conclusions Food system multiple economic, social & environmental functions and objectives Some objectives aligned others may conflict with each other. Governing food system coordinated approach foster potential synergies between policy domains manage unavoidable trade-offs Take into account most vulnerable actors: farmers and consumers