Opportunities for a Competitive and Resilient Transition

This briefing from the ECNO project examines the EU agrifood sector's trajectory, arguing that while current policies offer only modest emissions reductions, strategic shifts toward plant-based foods and food waste reduction could enhance climate neutrality, economic resilience, and global competitiveness.

• The EU agrifood sector has significant untapped potential for climate neutrality, but current and planned policies are projected to achieve only modest reductions in emissions. Two primary drivers for deep emissions reductions are the increase in plant-based foods and the reduction of food waste, which could also improve public health, create new income for farmers, and decrease dependence on imported fertilisers and feed.
• Several barriers hinder progress in the sector, including Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) subsidies that favor animal-based production over plant-based protein diversification. Additionally, dietary shifts and protein innovation are slowed by structural hurdles, regulatory issues, and a lack of market incentives and affordability. Food waste reduction is specifically limited by fragmented policies, data gaps, and stalled regulatory reforms.
• While the EU's long-term climate scenarios for agriculture rely heavily on technology and assume only moderate reductions in food waste and dietary shifts, current trends suggest more progress is possible. Specifically, ECNO analysis indicates that the declining trend in beef consumption is on track to meet or exceed the benchmarks set in these scenarios.

APA

NewClimate Institute (2025). Opportunities for a Competitive and Resilient Transition. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/towards-a-climate-neutral-eu-agrifood-system

Chicago

NewClimate Institute. Opportunities for a Competitive and Resilient Transition. 2025. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/towards-a-climate-neutral-eu-agrifood-system.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=NewClimate Institute |title=Opportunities for a Competitive and Resilient Transition |date=14 July 2025 |url=http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/towards-a-climate-neutral-eu-agrifood-system |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{newclimateinstitute2025opportunities, author = {{NewClimate Institute}}, title = {{Opportunities for a Competitive and Resilient Transition}}, institution = {NewClimate Institute}, year = {2025}, month = jul, url = {http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/towards-a-climate-neutral-eu-agrifood-system}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }