“Farming is a core part of our European way of life – and it must always stay that way”- as highlighted
in the Commission priorities 2024-2029. As Europe strives to lead the global transition towards a stronger
and sustainable economy, the role of the animal agriculture value chain has never been more critical.
In these turbulent times, it is our collective responsibility to ensure that the entire animal agriculture
value chain, including animal by-products and aquaculture, evolves in a way that is more competitive
and more resilient while continuing to shape Europe’s landscapes, provide high quality food as well as
other products and services for European citizens. This is the main priority of the Sustainable Livestock
Intergroup. We emphasise the importance of innovative, science and evidence-based solutions that
ensure a fair standard of living and new income opportunities, to continue attracting new generations of
professionals, to maintain biodiversity and keep vibrant livelihoods in mountainous regions for example.
At the same time, we must ensure that European consumers continue to have access to safe, nutritious,
good quality, and affordable food, textiles and fabrics produced within a resilient and sustainable
agricultural system.
We believe that by fostering dialogue, promoting best practices, and empowering the different sectors
of the animal agriculture value chain, the EU can create a future for livestock farming that works for all.
For this reason, we applaud the Commission’s initiative to create a livestock workstream, launched by
Commissioner Hansen on 8 May 2025 as part of the Vision for Agriculture and Food and we call on the
Commission to ensure that the livestock workstream is equipped with a well-defi ned structure and
the necessary means to fulfil its role.
Our vision is for a fully resilient agricultural system, providing not just food and nutrition security to
the entire EU population and beyond, but also many more products and services, while continuously
increasing sustainability in all dimensions – economic, environmental and social. Livestock farming
and aquaculture along with their numerous outputs, including by-products, are central and essential for
our long-term prosperity. These recommendations are based on the wide-ranging benefi ts livestock can
bring to a sustainable future for everyone, while at the same time identifying ways to further increase
the sustainability and resilience of the sector, based on their long-standing traditions and know-how.
Europe needs policies that meet the specific needs of the animal value chain. It is essential to provide
the necessary financial support, technical tools, and policy recognition well-deserved by the sector.
Supporting these recommendations can ensure a more resilient agricultural sector, promote responsible
and sustainable food and non-food production, and acknowledge the multifaceted value of livestock
farming in environmental, economic, and social terms.
To structure a comprehensive set of recommendations, this document was designed to take a holistic
view of the livestock value chain. It provides an in-depth analysis of three segments: 1) upstream, 2)
on-farm, and 3) downstream, ensuring a complete approach to sustainability across the sector.
The consequences for agricultural production, competitiveness, and farmers’ incomes could be catastrophic.
