Hot on the heels of the joint declaration by Birdlife International and the European Landowners Association and the declaration of 23 European agricultural economists comes the European Food Declaration (PDF).
The European Food Declaration diagnoses the problems of Europe’s food and farming system in the following way:
– dependence on under-priced fossil fuels
– failure to recognise the limitations of water and land resources
– promotion of unhealthy diets high in calories, fat and salt, and low in fruit, vegetables and
grains
– domination by transnational corporations and the World Trade Organisation (WTO)
The declaration argues that:
“All people should have access to healthy, safe, and nutritious food. The ways in which we grow, distribute, prepare and eat food should celebrate Europe’s cultural diversity, providing sustenance equitably and sustainably.”
The declaration sets out 12 principles, among them Principle 3 makes the curiously contradictory case for healthier eating and less consumption of meat and dairy products “while
respecting the regional cultural dietary habits and traditions”.… Read the rest