Dr Franz Fischler, the leading light behind reform proposals to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), continued on his crusade to guarantee the quality of food in Europe with a persuasive speech at an informal meeting of EU Ministers for Agriculture on the Mediterranean island of Corfu yesterday.
Fischler, European Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries, confirmed his belief that quality will play an even greater role in the future agricultural policy in Europe - to such an extent that it will have to be given its own instrument within future rural development policy.
"An agricultural policy not centred on quality is inconceivable today," he told ministers. "In order to introduce new rural development measures, particularly new quality assurance measures, and extend the existing ones, we must provide greater funding and new instruments."
For Fischler, an integral part of the word 'quality' in the minds of the consumer is that they expect the food that they buy not just to taste good and look perfect, but also to possess other 'special quality characteristics' such as specific geographical origins or particular production methods. Free-range eggs and organic products are examples.
Europe adopted special legislation for labelling such quality criteria in the 1990s. But, warned Fischler, "we should not forget that the production methods required for these quality marks often entail higher costs or lower yields, which up to now have not always been adequately compensated by the market".
Arguably as a nod to critics of CAP amendments, he maintained that it was only right that producers who are willing to sign up to such quality rules should continue to benefit from public funding.
So how are products with 'special quality charactistics' having an impact on the market? According to the Commissioner, despite annual growth rates of up to 20 per cent - depending on the sector - the market for organic products is still a niche market. But for the first time, the value of organic production is set to top the €10 billion mark this year. Although exact details of the volume of production with designations of origin and certified produce are not yet available, Fischler confirmed that the European statistics office, Eurostat, is currently working on a system that will soon provide precise data.
As quality stands at the prow of Fischler's CAP reform proposals, he remains certain that greater transparency in the production chain, better labelling and more information for consumers will enable them to buy the food that best matches their needs.
He believes that in order to meet these evolving needs, arguably indicative of modern society, more in-depth research at universities and agricultural institutes is required.
"Quality will thus increasingly become a key objective for sustainable agriculture and be recognised as a determining factor for fair competition on internal and external markets," he said yesterday.
"We must cater for this trend by a shift in emphasis and funding within the CAP. This is precisely what my CAP reform proposals set out to achieve: to make production more market-oriented, give producers a higher degree of flexibility and last but not least provide farmers with a secure income," the standard bearer of the new CAP reforms concluded.
Meanwhile, the topic of sustainable agriculture is not simply limited to the corridors of Brussels. In the UK, the government has earmarked an extra £500 million over the next three years towards its 'Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food'.
Billed as a call to action by government and industry to shape the future of farming and food production, the strategy will promote a series of intitiatives. One such initiative, launched this week by Sir Don Curry's Implementation Group, set up to oversee changes to the strategy, sees the coming together of a wide range of local bodies, farmers and stakeholders to determine priorities for action and to help draw up regional delivery plans.
"I look forward to engaging with people in the regions who are going to be vital to the success of this strategy.
It is only by working together that we can deliver change and move towards what we all want to see - a sustainable and successful farming and food industry," said Sir Don Curry earlier this week. Words which would undoubtedly find approval from Dr Fischler.