The EU Farm to Fork Strategy to assimilate us!!!

[TOM4CWB]

European Union Farm to Fork Strategy Aiming to Change Agriculture – If you are a fan of Sci-Fi then you know The BORG from Star Trek. If you are unfamiliar, Wikipedia identifies them as a collective alien civilization who are interconnected, and their goal is to ASSIMILATE to achieve “Ultimate perfection” and they are a signature villain in the Star Trek saga. Why am I thinking about the BORG? After learning more about the EU Farm to Fork strategy (F2F) I am thinking that the EU is the BORG and they are after ultimate perfection by way of making the world assimilate.
The EU representatives will deny this as they say, “You can choose to deal with us or not.” So, if the market is in the EU then possibly your future options are limited. The F2F strategy was released in early 2020 during a pandemic as a key part of the European Green Deal which aims to make the EU climate neutral by 2050. It is bold and ambitious. According to EU representatives, it is something that they are already working on and will be fine tuning it to hit the targets. What are the targets? By 2030 the EU is aiming to achieve the following through F2F:
- Reduction by 50% the overall use and risk of chemical pesticides and reduce use by 50% of more hazardous pesticides
- Reduce nutrient losses by at least 50% while ensuring no deterioration in soil fertility this will reduce use of fertilizers by at least 20%
- Reduce sales of antimicrobials for farmed animals and in aquaculture by 50% and
- Achieve at least 25% of EU’s agriculture land be organically farmed.
These are not new targets for the EU but what is new is the speed of change as was amplified by a comment from an EU presenter, “2030 is only 9 growing seasons out.” Working in parallel with these targets is achievement of reduction of consumer wastes, food security and working with international counterparts to adopt EU practices and goals. Where does that put Canada?
Clearly the EU is an important market for Canadian goods. Canadian representatives from various federal government departments are watching and learning more about the F2F. The webinar I attended was hosted by Market Industry Services Branch and had 3 EU representatives explaining the goals of the program and the changes that they anticipate seeing in their representative countries but also the changes that they see globally. The message is, “if you want to do business with us then you will be more successful if you follow our lead.”
Sustainability goals are being worked on in Canada and many farmers are already ahead of the curve. The Canadian ag sector needs to be aware of the F2F and we need to watch to see how it affects our trade and how it can trigger other things like investigations in to crop protection chemistries if the EU puts bans on products. It was an interesting webinar and one where my limited SCI-FI knowledge could not stop thinking, “You will Assimilate.” APG Office report March 26, 2021

Cheers

[jazz]

I will be liquid on a beach somewhere by that time and it will be somebody elses problem.

Guess the EU will import their food from china too.

[blackpowder]

Used to be the largest or wealthiest buyer set the standard. EU neither.
Another trade barrier. Those at decision making levels here are lapping it up.

[shtferbrains]

China can meet all specs.

If your willing to pay extra they can supply strictly organic certified.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Sounds like an admirable goal, with the possible exception of the last one.

Should be able to achieve them all by market based solutions.

Which is to say, if you pay me enough of a premium for my products, I will find a way to grow crops or livestock profitably without chemicals or fertilizer or anitbiotics etc.

Why do I doubt that this is the direction it will take. More likely to be similar to the emissions standards on vehicles. This is the reduction, this is the date, it is your problem how to achieve it Mr. Farmer.

Should be good for the FSU, SA Africa, they can fill the void.

[furrowtickler]

NFU and Liberal dream world coming soon , like it or not , there is virtually no real effective opposition here.
They are all following the UN agenda , even the US is about to get a reality check on this .
The current Ag industry is in for a complete shock if this gets full filled here in Canada . Absolutely no one standing up to this , and it will drastically effect all grain and livestock production big time .
There will be literally tens of thousands of jobs at stake in Canadian ag when this gets pushed here . A few new jobs will be created to enforce new regulations but it will dwarf the jobs lost , and a lot of very high paying tax contributing jobs at that, all through retail Ag .
This will be no surprise to some of us that seen this coming years ago . No one in the ag industry or our farm groups willing to speak out against this here in Canada .
Only the NFU cheering it on .
Something to ponder over Easter and before seeding .
Enjoy Easter weekend , most of us are about to get very busy soon . But keep an eye on what’s about to happen here in Canada , changes coming have the potential to dramatically hinder what we do to raise our families.
We are not far behind these drastic changes the EU is about to do .
One big difference, the EU and the US will support their farmers through the changes , Canada will not unless your a hobby farm basically. I hope I am wrong but the signs are pointing to exactly that .
No doubt the world is changing but these changes are being pushed far to fast based on the wildly over hyped climate change agenda .

[SASKFARMER]

First, they went after oil, and now it's Farming. Don't believe me **** you soon you'll agree it's coming and we cant stop it because all farm groups are pathetic and weak.

[blackpowder]

Interesting to read some of Bidens' proposed bills. NA govts now seem of one mindset. As if Rachel Notley writing everything lately. Eerily familiar.
Organized labor and the greens driving the bus now.

[chuckChuck]

Consumers and food processors are driving change.

Many farmers like Gabe Brown have, on their own already gone beyond what is being proposed in the EU.

Much of the US intensive livestock industry is already controlled by a few processors who call the shots and have turned independent farmers into highly controlled contract driven serfs.

[Old Cowzilla]

Don't think consumers say much still see potatoe chip isle still 10 times bigger than whole organic food supply. Piles of Easter eggs stacked on either side of checkout counter. Premade deli products busiest food isle in store. Lineups at M'DS and Dairy at noon, and don't forget all that healthy stuff at Tim's.

[furrowtickler]

Well chuck , Gabe Brown’s system relies on livestock and the climate change cult wants to eliminate livestock... so everything he does will become vastly less effective when livestock is out of the equation.
So the more the exaggerated climate change cult becomes the more those type of Regen Ag is in jeopardy.
Thank yourself for crippling that side of a great potential for some farms as consumers are being fed a lie that livestock is creating catastrophic climate change and that livestock are bad .
Adverse affects when things go too far .

[Guest]

Chuck ? Hello ??......

[jazz]

Chuck ? Hello ??......

chucks wife must do the grocery shopping. He obviously has never been to one.

The organic isle might as well be converted to cannibas. But the sugary cereal, candies, chip and pop isle must be 2 blocks long by now in superstore.

Superstore even took out the mid isle passthroughs so now if you find yourself in the candy isle by mistake, you have to walk the entire length of it to escape.

[WiltonRanch]

Natural, organic systems are sustainable on a nothing in nothing out principle. Has to be closed loop. Gabe is has just slowed mining the soil. Managed right cattle process and recycle organic matter very well. Can’t knock the guy too much for what he’s accomplished. Have issue with mindless masses thinking that’s how we should feed them.

[Sheepwheat]

While nothing is completely sustainable, I do question our current methods. I’m not against them, I just don’t see it as even close to sustainable. I don’t see organic as sustainable either.

My main worry honestly is the emptying landscape in farm country, because of the cookie cutter idea in agriculture to do it all the same. The system we have in place is not working. If it were, farmers wouldn’t be dropping like flies...

I have read and watched the likes of gabe brown, there are many gabes out there. I was even doing some gabe brown stuff before I knew about him! Lol.

I do believe that livestock are the key, or at least a huge part of the key in true sustainability. But I also believe most farmers are not into livestock for many reasons... I don’t like the idea of forcing things upon us.