The Farm to Fork strategy: what became law and what did not
The Farm to Fork strategy of May 2020 was the food chapter of the European Green Deal. Part of what it announced has become law; another part has fallen away. The framework law on sustainable food systems was never tabled. The proposal on plant protection products has been withdrawn. Binding rules do now apply to packaging, food waste, deforestation and misleading sustainability claims. For businesses in the food chain, that is the part that counts.
The short answer
- Farm to Fork is a strategy from May 2020, not a law.
- The announced framework regulation on sustainable food systems was never tabled and was definitively dropped in 2026.
- The proposal for a regulation on the sustainable use of plant protection products has been withdrawn.
- What did become law: the Deforestation Regulation, the Packaging Regulation, the revised Waste Framework Directive with food waste targets, and new rules on genomic techniques.
- From 27 September 2026, stricter rules apply to misleading sustainability claims, including claims on foodstuffs.
- In February 2025 the Commission presented a broader vision for agriculture and food, in which earning capacity and simplification come first.
What the strategy set out
The Commission presented Farm to Fork in May 2020. The strategy covered the entire chain, from cultivation to consumption. It named targets for plant protection products, fertilisers, antibiotics in livestock farming and the area under organic production, among other things.
Those figures were political objectives, not legal duties. They would acquire legal meaning only if the announced legislation actually materialised. That has happened only in part.
What fell away or was postponed
The framework regulation on sustainable food systems
This was the flagship of the strategy. The proposal was to lay down sustainability principles, labelling and procurement criteria for the whole chain. It was never tabled. In 2026 the Commission confirmed that the initiative has been dropped.
Plant protection products
The proposal for a regulation on the sustainable use of plant protection products stranded in the European Parliament. The Commission formally withdrew it. The existing framework, consisting of the directive on the sustainable use of pesticides and the authorisation regulation, remains in force.
Deforestation
The Deforestation Regulation has not been dropped, but it has been postponed and simplified. It applies to large undertakings from 30 December 2026 and to micro and small undertakings from 30 June 2027. Certain printed products have been taken out of its scope and the due diligence obligations have been simplified.
What did become law
| Instrument | Core | From |
|---|---|---|
| Deforestation Regulation | Due diligence statement for soy, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, cattle and timber, among others | 30 December 2026 (large undertakings) |
| Packaging Regulation (EU) 2025/40 | Requirements on packaging design, documentation and substances | Largely 12 August 2026 |
| Directive (EU) 2025/1892 | Binding food waste targets and extended producer responsibility for textiles | Transposition by 2027 at the latest |
| Directive (EU) 2024/825 | Prohibition on misleading sustainability and climate claims | 27 September 2026 |
| New genomic techniques | Two categories of plants, each with its own labelling and authorisation regime | Largely after a transitional period |
| Nature Restoration Regulation (EU) 2024/1991 | Restoration duties for Member States, including agricultural ecosystems | In force since 18 August 2024 |
From strategy to vision
In February 2025 the Commission presented a vision for agriculture and food for the current term. That vision shifts the emphasis. Where Farm to Fork mainly announced new standards, the vision addresses earning capacity, the position of the farmer in the chain, generational renewal and the simplification of rules.
In practice this means you can expect fewer new prohibitions and more emphasis on enforcing the rules that exist. Those rules are not going away. They are being policed more strictly.
Labelling and consumer information
Farm to Fork announced mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labelling and an extension of origin labelling. Neither proposal led to legislation. The existing regulation on food information to consumers remains the framework.
The burden of proof for voluntary sustainability claims has, however, been raised. From 27 September 2026, sustainability labels may be used only if they rest on a certified scheme or have been established by a public authority. Own logos without independent verification have become risky.
Food waste: the concrete targets
The revised Waste Framework Directive sets binding reduction targets for food waste for the first time. By 2030 Member States must reduce waste in processing and manufacturing by 10%. In retail, food service and households a reduction of 30% per head of population applies. Both targets are measured against the average over the years 2021 to 2023 inclusive.
For businesses this means that Member States will adopt national measures. Think of registration duties, arrangements with chain partners and enforcement through waste law.
Animal welfare and antibiotics
Farm to Fork announced a revision of animal welfare legislation. That revision has been only partly achieved. The existing framework for housing and slaughter therefore remains largely unchanged.
For antibiotics the position is different. The Veterinary Medicinal Products Regulation already restricts preventive use and the use of certain antimicrobials. Those rules apply independently of Farm to Fork and are actively enforced.
Obligations that now apply across the food chain
The practical agenda for a food producer, processor or retailer comes down to five points.
- Raw materials. Establish whether you trade in products covered by the Deforestation Regulation. If so, you need geolocation data for the plots concerned and a due diligence statement.
- Packaging. Test your packaging against the Packaging Regulation. Record conformity in a technical file. Pay attention to the limit values for PFAS in food contact packaging.
- Claims. Substantiate every sustainability claim. Claims such as climate neutral that rest solely on offsetting are prohibited from 27 September 2026. See greenwashing and environmental claims.
- Waste and food loss. Anticipate the national measures and registration duties that will follow from Directive (EU) 2025/1892.
- Reporting and finance. Even without a CSRD obligation, customers and banks ask for data. Prepare a consistent set of figures.
Points to watch in contracts
Many obligations are passed down through terms of supply. Watch for warranties on origin, indemnities for non-compliance and information clauses with short response deadlines. Assess as well whether a price clause covers the cost of new compliance requirements. A party that signs without reservation carries the risk of future regulation.
Frequently asked questions
Do the targets of a 50% reduction in plant protection products still apply?
Not as a legal duty. The proposal that would have made that reduction binding has been withdrawn. National rules and authorisation requirements continue to apply as before.
Is my business covered by the Deforestation Regulation?
That depends on the product and on your role in the chain. The regulation covers a limited list of commodities and products derived from them. Operators and certain traders have a due diligence duty.
May I still put organic or environmentally friendly on my label?
Protected designations such as organic are tied to the Organic Production Regulation. General claims such as environmentally friendly may be used from 27 September 2026 only where environmental performance is demonstrably excellent.
Are you unsure whether your labelling, purchasing terms or supply chain arrangements meet the current framework? Please contact Law & More in Eindhoven or Amsterdam for an assessment of your situation. We advise in Dutch and English.
