TRUST BETWEEN CONSUMERS AND PRODUCERS

Europe cannot have a resilient food system without trust — and trust requires transparency. Consumers have the right to know where their food comes from, how it has been produced and what it contains. EAT Europe calls for stronger and more meaningful country-of-origin labelling and for a traceability system that follows food throughout the supply chain. European customs rules, designed largely around the logic of international trade, do not always reflect the specific characteristics of agricultural and food products and should be adapted accordingly. Labelling must inform consumers, not reduce complex nutritional and production information to a single colour or score. EAT Europe therefore rejects simplistic approaches to nutrition labelling and supports clear, factual information on nutritional composition, degree of processing and the presence and function of additives. Consumers should be given the information they need to make informed choices, while producers who invest in quality, transparency and responsible production should not be placed at a disadvantage. Traceability and transparency must become the foundations of consumer trust.