The European Green Deal, adopted in 2019, is not just an environmental policy — it is an economic and cultural project reshaping how Europe grows, consumes, and trades food.
For cereals, which occupy about 45% of the EU’s farmland, the Green Deal marks a profound transformation: from productivity-based agriculture to climate neutrality, soil protection, and ecosystem health.
Core Strategies: Farm to Fork and Biodiversity 2030
Two twin strategies drive this transition: Farm to Fork and Biodiversity 2030.
Farm to Fork aims to make Europe’s food system healthier and more sustainable, with concrete targets:
- 50% reduction in pesticide use and risk by 2030;
- 20% reduction in fertilizers;
- 25% of farmland under organic cultivation;
- improved animal welfare and food traceability.
The Biodiversity 2030 strategy seeks to protect at least 30% of EU land and restore 10% of agricultural areas with natural features such as hedgerows and flower strips.
Together, these measures redefine farmland: wheat fields are no longer just productive spaces, but multifunctional ecological landscapes.
Impact on Wheat and Cereal Farms
For wheat producers, the Green Deal poses both an environmental and managerial challenge.
It requires adopting new techniques — conservation tillage, precision agriculture, longer rotations, resilient varieties — while providing proof of sustainability through data and certification.
According to the Joint Research Centre (2024), farms applying agroecological practices aligned with Farm to Fork can cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 28% without major yield loss.
Yet, the transition entails costs: equipment, digital tools, and compliance procedures.
A Greener, but More Conditional CAP
The Green Deal has reshaped the 2023–2027 CAP through enhanced conditionalities and eco-schemes.
To receive payments, farmers must comply with:
- crop rotation requirements (GAEC 7);
- protection of bare soils (GAEC 6);
- non-productive areas for biodiversity (GAEC 8).
Those joining eco-schemes can earn up to €120/ha, but must provide verifiable evidence of their practices.
This marks a cultural shift: sustainability must now be measured, not declared.
Wheat and Climate Neutrality
The Green Deal’s long-term goal is climate neutrality by 2050.
For the cereal sector, this means:
- reducing fossil fuel dependence in fieldwork and transport;
- improving nitrogen efficiency to cut N₂O emissions;
- enhancing soil carbon sequestration through regenerative practices.
Projects like LIFE AgriAdapt and Horizon Cereal4Climate are already testing low-emission wheat systems based on verified carbon balances.
Opportunities and Risks
For forward-looking farms, the Green Deal offers new opportunities:
- access to premium markets (organic, traceable, low-carbon);
- potential to monetize ecosystem services through carbon and biodiversity credits;
- enhanced environmental reputation and market visibility.
However, competitiveness remains a concern.
Without effective carbon border mechanisms, sustainable EU cereals may face unfair competition from lower-cost, higher-emission imports.
Wheat as Europe’s Green Flagship
The Green Deal is a vision: to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent and global leader in sustainable agriculture.
Wheat — a symbol of Europe’s cultural and nutritional identity — can become the testbed for this transformation.
A more digital, circular, and transparent cereal sector will be not only greener, but more resilient and sovereign.
Sources:
- European Commission (2019–2024). European Green Deal and Farm to Fork Strategy.
- Joint Research Centre (2024). Climate Neutral Agriculture and Cereal Systems in the EU.
- FAO (2024). Agroecological Transition and Cereal Resilience.
- CREA (2025). Impact of the European Green Deal on Italian Cereal Farming.
- European Environment Agency (2024). Biodiversity 2030 Implementation Report.