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| 25 feb 2022 |
15:32 |
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Conflict in Ukraine: urgent actions needed to safeguard food security
As a conflict of a terrible violence and tragedy unfolds in Ukraine, the European Council of Young Farmers (CEJA) wants to express its profound sadness and solidarity with all the people affected directly and indirectly. With the peace and stability of the European continent at stake, and the physical and mental integrity of neighbouring communities undermined, it is the food security of millions of people now under threat. Europe’s young farmers call on EU institutions to take the necessary steps to ensure that food systems remain resilient and to support stranded communities.
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CEJA was founded one decade after World War II on the idea that peace and solidarity between peoples should remain core values of the European continent to ensure a prosperous future for all. It is therefore with profound sadness that the organisation witnesses the events of the last days. As the physical and mental integrity of neighbour communities is at stake, and the markets show increasing signs of unrest, Europe’s young farmers also want to draw attention to the toll the conflict is having on food security for affected communities, the continent and the rest of the world.
“As young farmers and young EU citizens, our hearts sink to the vision of the conflict that is now affecting Ukraine and its people”, said CEJA President Diana Lenzi. “Given the consequences that the conflict is already having on food security, likely to worsen in the coming days, we call on EU institutions to take the necessary steps to address the resulting threats affecting our food systems, including the serious price inflation showing in the last hours, and to provide emergency food stocks to those in need.”
To do so, CEJA urges the European Commission to closely monitor agriculture and energy prices and to accelerate the establishment of the European Food Security Crisis Preparedness and Response Mechanism (EFSCM), so that full cooperation between EU Member States and sectorial representatives is guaranteed in the process. The introduction of crisis response measures must also be considered as soon as possible to relieve the markets, constitute stocks for humanitarian assistance and guarantee consumers’ access to food.
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