Recognising the potential of innovative fermentation technologies to foster a resilient and sustainable food system
4.12.2023
Question for written answer E-003537/2023
to the Commission
Rule 138
Sylwia Spurek (Verts/ALE)
Europe needs to reduce emissions from agriculture to tackle the joint climate and food security crisis, achieve the goals of the Green Deal and create an environment for a strong, competitive, and future-proof food bioeconomy.
Precision fermentation uses microbes to produce animal-free alternatives to milk, eggs and cheese for a fraction of the land, emissions, energy and water necessary for traditional egg and dairy production.
By enabling breakthrough solutions such as these, the EU can contribute to climate change mitigation, foster protein autonomy and contribute to a more resilient and sustainable food system.
Against this backdrop:
- 1.Does the Commission intend to publish the legislative framework for a sustainable food system before the end of the current mandate, and if it does, will it include within its scope the promotion of more sustainable food production such as fermentation-enabled animal-free egg and dairy alternatives?
- 2.In line with the upcoming EU protein strategy, does the Commission recognise biotechnology-enabled food production technologies such as (precision) fermentation as a high-priority sector to develop in order to achieve strategic autonomy and resilience in the agri-food sector?
- 3.What policy levers does the Commission intend to deploy to better inform consumers of the available sustainable alternatives to the products of animal origin, including animal-free egg and dairy alternatives?
Submitted: 4.12.2023