Regions and cities must be involved in providing support to producers, protecting the environment and combating food shortages after a pandemic.

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) called for the full alignment of the EU's "Field to Table" strategy with the common agricultural policy and the objectives of the Green Agenda.
The COVID 19 pandemic demonstrated a strong interconnectedness of public health, ecosystems, and food systems.
The field-to-table strategy for sustainable food is an important part of both the European Green Plan (EU flagship initiatives) and the EU Recovery Plan. The European Commission presented a strategy on 20 May 2020 that will cover all links in the food chain, from production to consumption. It aims to build a sustainable food system in the EU that protects food security, human health and the environment.
"A 'field-to-table' strategy can help bring food access - a simple but fundamental issue - back to the center of political debate."
The CoR supports the field-to-table strategy and the objectives set by the Commission in reducing the use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers and antimicrobials and increasing organic farming. In addition, the CoR calls for a thorough assessment of the impact of the quantified objectives and for monitoring the progress made.

In order to highlight the local and regional dimension, the CoR points out that public food procurement is one of the key elements for the transition to a sustainable food system at local and regional level. The purchasing power of public bodies represents 14% of EU GDP. Public procurement can therefore serve as a strong driver of demand for sustainable products. Demand institutions are important to increase the consumption of sustainable food and open market opportunities for small suppliers.
Regions and cities can act as key actors in the transition to a more sustainable food system. They must therefore be involved in the implementation and monitoring of the strategy. In order to better meet their needs, regional authorities should continue to be able to play their role as managing authorities and be involved in the design of environmental programs at European and national level.

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