Farm to Fork

As a strong supporter of One Health action, the animal health industry supports Europe’s ambitions in the EU Green Deal to move towards a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food system. Europe’s farmers have already made progress in their pursuit of genuinely sustainable food production in Europe and we believe that future transformations should be inclusive, and should be based on ensuring access to innovative and enabling technologies.

We know that the well-being of animals in agriculture is a priority for society, and that the health of our planet is a top priority for us all. That’s why we remain committed to ensuring that animals are cared for and raised in the best possible conditions, while respecting biodiversity and the environment. This means that we support vets and farmers by providing animal health products and services that help to ensure holistic care.

Use of innovative digital tools and preventive practices for animal health are contributory elements that can help accelerate sustainability. Farmers and vets should be supported with access to all tools available to safeguard health, ensure animal welfare and respond rapidly to disease outbreaks. Animal health matters in all different farming systems, so support should be accorded for innovation that helps prevent and fight animal diseases, thus ensuring a safe supply of high-quality and nutritious meat, milk, fish and eggs at affordable prices.

A just transition must also support a robust, resilient and financially viable food system that continues to function in all circumstances. As such a One Health policy, taking on board the human, animal and environmental factors, complements the EU Farm to Fork strategy which needs to guarantee food safety and supply for all, hand-in-hand with public health protection. 

Prioritising funding at national and European level in innovative early animal health research through programmes such as Horizon Europe can support much-needed R&D to develop new generations of vaccines and other preventative tools and therapies. Alongside this, support for farmers to invest in digital monitoring tools and training on how to best use the data will allow for real-time surveillance of the animal’s physical status, improving the ability to protect against disease, while advancing the well-being of farm animals and supporting sustainable livestock production.