The European Commission denies that there is a current crisis on sunflower oil supplies and says there will be time in the coming season to ensure transparent labels even when substituting with rapeseed or soybean oils.
The European consumer organization Foodwatch, meanwhile, is launching a petition to ensure that information on ingredients, GMOs and the nutrition declaration of foods is guaranteed at all times and without exceptions, as in fact stipulated in reg. EU 1169/11.
European Parliament, sunflower oil and food labels
MEP. Jordi Cañas (Spain, Ciutadanos, Renew Europe Group), in its 11.3.22 question to the European Commission, noted how the war in Ukraine is causing ”Serious consequences for all aspects of the European economy‘. (1) To the apocalypse, we add, if Europe followed its belligerent ideas. ‘Sunflower oil shortage is a serious and immediate problem for the EU, as Ukraine accounts for 90 percent of EU sunflower oil imports‘. (2)
Prices of ‘industrial confectionery products (pastries, cookies, cakes, etc.)‘ would be on the rise, in the politician’s grotesque thesis, ‘because the current framework on product labeling was not designed to respond to supply crises’ and ‘the EU requires that the type of oil used in each product be indicated.’ While the ‘oil change’ could even take place ‘within the same batch‘. False. (3) Harmonized solutions such as ‘permanent stickers, overprint labels, supermarket shelf information‘ would then be needed.
European Commission, no current crisis on sunflower oil
‘The Commission closely monitors the situation of the grain and oilseed market and its impact on farmers and food security. With a
– oilseed production in 2021/22 of 30.2 million tons (rebounding after a disappointing harvest in 2020/21); and
– imports already reaching 1.4 million tons of sunflower oil (about 80 percent of its usual needs), the EU market for oilseeds and its products is now sufficiently supplied‘ (4.5).
Medium-term outlook
‘In the coming season,’ explained Polish Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski, in his answer 27.4.22 to the above parliamentary question, ‘rapeseed and soybean oils could be good alternatives to sunflower oil and their availability in the EU should be sufficient.’
European oilseed production capacity moreover is expected to increase (+4.8% in 2022/23 over 2021/22) as a result of the ‘temporary derogation to allow planting of crops on fallow land‘ (6,7). ‘This additional production area should offset, at least in part, the potential future impact of reduced supplies from Ukraine.’ (4)
Label transparency, no exemptions
‘It is of the utmost importance that national measures do not come at the expense of our fundamental principles and values established by the treaties,’ he concludes. That is to say, transparency in food labeling is indispensable. And no exceptions should be allowed, such as the one clumsily theorized in Italy with a note from a MiSE directorate. (8)
Foodwatch France, in turn, has launched a petition-which we urge all our readers to sign, at this link-so that the European Commission will immediately censure any national measures along these lines. Consumers should always be able to know the presence of allergens (e.g., soy), GMOs (e.g., soy, canola, corn), and saturated fats from unsustainable oils (e.g., palm) before choosing a product.
Interim conclusions
The only solution to ensure the continuity of wheat and sunflower crops in Ukraine–on 11 and 6.5 million hectares, respectively–is a peace agreement to be reached immediately, after stopping the supply of weapons that is outside the scope of both the EU Treaty and the Constitutions of several of its member states.
The rhetoric of EU agribusiness self-sufficiency at the expense of politics
Farm to Fork
is false. As shown by scientists at the Potsdam Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI. See notes 9,10).
#NoWar, #NotInOurNames.
Dario Dongo
Notes
(1) European Parliament. Question with written answer signed by Hon. Jordi Cañas. Supply and emergency labeling problems caused by the war in Ukraine. (P-000971/2022). 11.3.22, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/P-9-2022-000971_EN.html
(2) Eurostat-Comext. EU Oilseeds and protein crops Trade 2021/22 Marketing Year July – February. 19.1.22, https://bit.ly/3MzmuU4
(3) Lot or batch is defined as ‘a set of sales units of a foodstuff, produced, manufactured or packaged under practically identical circumstances‘ (dir. 2011/91/EU, Art. 1.2). It is therefore excluded that ingredients may vary within the same batch
(4) Response by Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski to parliamentary question P-000971/2022. 4/27/22, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/P-9-2022-000971-ASW_EN.html
(5) European Commission, DG Taxud. Trade monitoring through customs surveillance data. https://bit.ly/37U42Hd
(6) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/484, 23.3.22, Which provides exemptions from reg. EU 1307/2013 and reg. EU 639/2014, regarding the implementation of certain conditions related to the greening payment for the application year 2022
(7) See section 4.2 in Dario Dongo’s previous article. Food security, thesis and antithesis of the European Parliament. GIFT(Great Italian Food Trade). 3/27/22, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/idee/food-security-tesi-e-antitesi-del-parlamento-europeo
(8) Dario Dongo. Sunflower oil crisis, MiSE hypothesizes labeling as an exception to reg. EU 1169/11. FT (Food Times). 3/16/22, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/mercati/crisi-dell-olio-di-girasole-il-mise-ipotizza-l-etichettatura-in-deroga-al-reg-ue-1169-11
(9) Dario Dongo. From Farm to Fork to Farm to War, science’s call for a resilient food strategy. GIFT(Great Italian Food Trade). 22.3.22, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/idee/da-farm-to-fork-a-farm-to-war-l-appello-della-scienza-per-una-strategia-alimentare-resiliente
(10) Potentially cultivable areas of ecological interest in the EU are no more than 6 Mha (out of 100 Mha of arable land), have low potential yields, and would still have to come prepared for cultivation, with skyrocketing energy and agricultural input costs. V. War in Ukraine and food security: what are the implications for Europe? IDDRI. 9.3.22, https://www.iddri.org/en/publications-and-events/blog-post/war-ukraine-and-food-security-what-are-implications-europe
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
