The International Platform of Insects for Food and FeedBrussels (BE), Amiens (FR) – 21st of January 2022
The European insect sector underlines its commitment to accelerate progress on the EU Green Deal objectives
The European insect sector reiterated its commitment to the ‘EU Green Deal’ objectives in the context of the informal meeting of the European Union environment ministers with the extraordinary participation of Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius. This meeting was organised by the French Presidency of the European Council today in Amiens, France.As highlighted by IPIFF’s President Ms Adriana Casillas, ‘the regulatory developments from 2021 were key to strengthen the position of the European insect industry as a major player in terms of innovation and environmental performance’. These reforms were also an opportunity to ‘further prioritise targets that can maximise the contribution of our sector to EU’s climate neutrality objectives – in line with the IPIFF policy roadmap’, complemented the IPIFF 1st vice-President, Dr Aman Paul. Welcoming the EU ministers today in Amiens[1], Mr Antoine Hubert underscored the strategic importance of new industries such as insect farming in view of ‘achieving the transition to a climate-neutral European economy’.According to the 2nd IPIFF vice-President, the EU Farm to Fork strategy and the Circular Economy Action Plan offer the right direction to reduce the growing EU food burden – and here the insect sector is eager to play its part. ‘We are engaged in discussions with the European Commission services and Member States’ authorities in order to facilitate the approval of products intended for human consumption – such as former foodstuffs with meat and fish – while also exploring the possible use of catering waste as substrate for insects. Building on the latest scientific evidence – and upon previous safety evaluation by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), we are confident that such a regulatory reform can accelerate our transition towards circular business models in agriculture – while also fighting food waste’, concluded Mr Hubert.According to the Farm to Fork Strategy, food waste generated at the EU level represents ‘about 6% of total EU emissions’. ‘That is the equivalent of twice the emissions generated annually by a country the size of Belgium’ – mentioned Ms Chloé Phan Van Phi, IPIFF’s Executive Committee representative in charge of circular economy. ‘This means that we should accelerate our efforts to reduce these emissions at all levels, including by safely upcycling certain side streams through insect farming’, concluded Ms Phan Van Phi. In the context of the initiatives taken by the EU national authorities, IPIFF Members also consider that the recognition of insect production activities under national support programmes (e.g. rural development programmes, COVID-19 recovery plans) could offer new avenues for growth. The above steps combined with ‘tailoring the administrative procedures in the field of national environmental legislation to the insect sector could be an opportunity for entrepreneurs, farmers and scientists to join forces with existing insect producers in addressing the agrifood challenges of our continent’, highlighted Mr Christophe Derrien – IPIFF Secretary-General.
[1] As part of the informal meeting hosted by the French Presidency of the European Council, environment ministers visited the site of an insect farming benefiting from Horizon 2020 funding in the area of circular bio-based innovation.