The EU Food Policy Coalition (EU FPC) brings together NGOs from a broad spectrum working on food systems, including grassroots social movements, farmers organisations, organisations of fishers, trade unions, think tanks, scientific and research groups. Participants in the EU FPC work towards policy integration and alignment at the EU-level to enable and facilitate the transition to sustainable food systems. The Coalition provides a space for discussing policies and conducting joint activities.
Ahead of the European Elections this year, and recognising the growing importance and awareness of food and farming among EU citizens, EU FPC participating organisations joined forces to shed light on the voting records of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) – and the political groups they belong to – over the last mandate (2019-2024).
From justice for farmers and access to healthy food to agroecology, sustainable diets and animal welfare, people care about how our food is produced. European citizens are also increasingly aware about how our socially, environmentally and economically unsustainable food systems are contributing to the climate crisis and the degradation of natural resources, all while fuelling social inequality (including in the farming community) and damaging Europeans’ health.
To provide voters a better insight into MEPs voting behaviours around health, biodiversity, justice, and equity in Europe’s food system, the EU FPC initiative provides a set of user-friendly scorecards. The voting records of different EP Groups were compiled into a comprehensive overview by considering the results of multiple votes, while at the same time grouping votes into the following five different categories which are reflecting the key priorities of the EU FPCs area of work:
- Recognising and supporting the need for a transition
- Access to healthy and sustainable diets
- Social justice for farmers and citizens
- Nature friendly farming and shifting towards agroecology
- Transitioning towards ethical animal production
Want to learn more about the EU FPCs work, its collaboration with EPHA, or how MEPs have been voting on issues related to our food and farming systems over the last five years?
Find out more here!