GRAPE 6 – Revamping Food Sovereignty? Europe's response to changing global dynamics

Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the limited availability of vital inputs has had a critical impact on many different sectors. The EU has vivid memories of how damaging its dependence on imports from third countries can be. Sovereignty has become the central concern in many policy areas, such as energy, defence and, not least, agriculture and food. Concerns about food security and food sovereignty have also become dominant elements of discussion in the implementation of the Farm to Fork Strategy. The need to discuss food sovereignty, resilience and security of food supply is apparent. Focusing on food sovereignty, means addressing the issues of building capacity for self-sufficiency, reducing input dependency, and reassessing the role of EU farmers in global markets as trade and consumption patterns change. 

This paper, in the form of a questionnaire, is a contribution to this debate. It presents Europe Jacques Delors’ contribution to a survey carried out by the French Assemblée Nationale for a parliamentary report on European food sovereignty. The questions address the strategic dependencies of the European Union in terms of food and raw materials, the transition towards sustainable agriculture and food systems, and the international trade dimension.