The biggest organizations in the industry joined their efforts to formulate a shared vision regarding the essential role of bread production in Europe, for Europe. The message coming from all voices is clear and simple: bread is best.
AIBI, CEBP, COFALEC, European Flour Millers and Fedima developed a project aimed at promoting the enduring qualities of bread. Within the project called ‘Bread Initiative’, several campaigns have been carried out to support bread’s image and production, as a basic, nutritious and great-tasting foodstuff.
Within this project, the five member associations recently drew together a vision paper representing their collective stance on bread and its significance for consumers and for the baking industry, titled ‘Keeping Bread on the Table’. The document advocates for key policies that can safeguard bread security, for regulatory support for bakeries, and help in the industry’s sustainability efforts, in the new European Parliament term (2024 – 2029).
Several measures could ensure supply chain security, as long as bread production is considered a strategic priority sector, the document argues. Actions should include “investing in domestic, high-quality wheat production, prioritizing the EU agricultural raw material supply for the food sector and developing an EU long-term vision of food security that includes bread,” the vision paper details.
Bread, all about it
The ‘Bread Initiative’ project has a dedicated platform with resources about and by its member associations. The latest activity in this coordinated effort is the release of the vision paper. www.bread-initiative.eu
‘Better regulation’
The organizations signing the document advocate for “Upholding ‘Better Regulation’ as a cornerstone of the EU regulatory process, rooted in its core principles.” For this, drastically cutting red tape is recommended, as a critical measure, especially for small bakeries. The industry associations lobby the European Parliament’s new members to favor simpler regulations, streamline paperwork and reporting, as well as straightforward, consistent rules, to establish a business-friendly environment for the bakery industry. In the same direction, excessive regulations should be avoided, the paper underlines.
The authors stress the importance of science-backed evidence in making any regulatory decisions.
‘Better regulations’ should also include mitigating risks and unintended consequences faced by the bakery sector as a result of new regulations, such as those intended for agriculture. At the same time, the Bread Initiative is committed to driving sustainability in the industry and supporting bakery businesses in their transition process.
EU funding has been allocated to various activities throughout the supply chain, with an influence on grains and bread-making policies, too. A budget of EUR 186 million was set by the EC in 2022 to fund promotion activities for EU agri-food products, for example. Dedicated bread promotion campaigns were organized in Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden and Spain – and the messages and relevant resources were shared within the network established by this multi-team project.
