EU intends to postpone sustainable farming plans due to Russian-Ukrainian conflict

The European Commission is set to delay publication of proposals for sustainable agriculture expected this week as the Ukrainian crisis has affected food supplies, leading some countries to question the European Union's environmental efforts, REUTERS reported.

The EU Green Deal provides for a major overhaul of all sectors, including agriculture, which accounts for approximately 10% of EU greenhouse gas emissions. Brussels has targets that include halving the use of chemical pesticides by 2030, and laws are being drafted to make them a reality.

The European Commission (EC) was due to unveil two new proposals on Wednesday - binding targets for nature restoration and a more sustainable pesticide law.

However, EU Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski said on Monday that the EU would not discuss pesticides at its meeting this week, meaning that publication of the proposal would be delayed. He did not comment on the nature restoration plan.

Earlier, EU Food Safety Commissioner Stella Kyriakides told agriculture ministers in Brussels that the bloc should move towards sustainable use of pesticides, but the crisis in Ukraine is not giving "political space" for a proper discussion right now.

The EC will propose measures to deal with the aftermath of the Ukrainian crisis, which has driven up the price of wheat and barley and raised fears of food shortages.

A group of 400 scientists and food industry experts said on Friday that abandoning sustainable farming practices would be counterproductive. “These measures will not lead us to a secure food system that is resilient to future shocks and healthy and sustainable diets, but move us away from it,” they said in a statement.

Instead, they called for a shift to growing crops less dependent on fertilizers produced using Russian gas and more plant-based diets to reduce the amount of grain needed to feed animals.