Today, the Commission launches its new food policy, the 'Farm to Fork Strategy', as well as the Biodiversity Strategy 2030. The latter aims to protect and restore nature by limiting the key drivers of biodiversity loss, such as pollution, climate change and over-usage of resources. As integral parts of the European Green Deal, the two strategies can complement each other in supporting the bloc's climate and environmental ambitions while paving the way for a green recovery after the pandemic. 

The need for an effective and transformative plan of action to protect the environment has never been clearer, as the pandemic has highlighted the interrelation between biodiversity, consumption patterns and citizens' health. With agriculture being one of the biggest drivers of biodiversity loss in the EU, the Commission proposals aim to rework the way we produce and consume food.

As Europe slowly but gradually enters the phase of recovery from the pandemic, EU institutions and national governments must use this opportunity to build resilience to future outbreaks and lay the foundation for a sustainable economy and society that protects the very nature we need to survive. A successful Green Deal underpinned by ambitious and holistic strategies for biodiversity and farming will therefore be crucial for this recovery period and beyond.