Europe’s food supply chain organisation has pledged to work closely across all sectors during the coronavirus crisis to ensure everybody continues to have access to safe and affordable food and drink.
FoodDrinkEurope, which is made up of 294,000 food manufacturing businesses and 4.7 million workers across the EU, says it will be using its “collective resources, ingenuity and the dedication of our workforce” to ensure a well-functioning food supply chain and to guarantee food security.
The organisation said its members are already reporting increasing difficulties in their business operations, with delays and disruption at country borders for the delivery of certain agricultural and manufactured products and packaging materials.
FoodDrinkEurope added: “Given that the agri-food supply chain is highly integrated and operating across borders, any blocks of supply and workers will inevitably disrupt business. Our ability to provide food for all will depend on the preservation of the EU single market.
“We therefore urge the European Commission to work collaboratively with us and to do everything in its power – with a consistent and clear strategy – to ensure an uninterrupted flow of agricultural produce, food and drink products and packaging materials as well as solutions to prevent and manage labour shortages, so that the food supply chain is able to function effectively.”
The organisation also urged the commission to work with member states to explore ways to support the agri-food sector which has come under financial pressure.
It added: “In particular, over the coming weeks and months we urge the commission to consider Europe’s 11 million farmers, 4.7 million manufacturing workers, 294,000 food and drink businesses (including 22,000 agri- co-operatives) and 35,000 trading companies.”
