The European Committee of the Regions is currently discussing an opinion on the "Farm to Fork Strategy". The new strategy proposed by the European Commission is part of the Green Deal and aims to enable the EU to achieve its sustainability goals more effectively.

As the Province of Groningen we welcome the working document on the Farm to Fork Strategy that was discussed at the meeting of the CoR's Commission for Natural Resources on 5 March, and would like to thank the rapporteur for his work.

First of all, we are happy to see the emphasis on the promotion of short supply chains and the role of local and regional governments as key players; we also agree on the importance of affordable food for everyone in the European Union.

In addition, we would like to stress the importance of including all relevant aspects of the agricultural sector in the strategy. In order to do justice to the goals and ambitions set out in the Common Agricultural Policy with regard to the environment and farmers' income, it is important to also pay attention to other uses of agricultural products (such as energy and chemistry). Good cooperation between the relevant directorates-general in the European Commission (DG SANTE, DG AGRI, DG ENV) is therefore of the utmost importance.

Lastly, it seems to have been suggested that smaller farms are better for the climate, the environment and biodiversity. We need to work on making sure that such farms have the (financial) means to take the necessary measures on climate, the environment and biodiversity. The availability of resources is often of greater importance than the size of the farm.