​On the first day of the Plenary Session, a debate on the food crisis was held. Members of the Committee of the Regions had the chance to discuss upon this matter, urgent and severe in its consequences, with the Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski.

The Commissioner had outlined the current state of agriculture in the EU, highlighting the impact of the Russian war in Ukraine on the availability of key agri-food products, including fertilizers and grain.
Wojciechowski had also underlined the effects of the loss of almost 3 million that the EU has experienced since 2010.

Two of our members – Mr Strugała and Mr Iwaniuk – had taken an opportunity to comment on the issue of the looming EU food crisis.

Highlighting the worsening conditions for EU farmers, Mr Strugała had stated the necessity of increasing the funding that is programmed within the Common Agricultural Policy. He added that this increase should go hand in hand with the increase in the amount of land utilised for farming, stating that this would result in an increase of crop yields, which would be a factor driving the prices of agri-food products down. Mr Strugała had also suggested the EGD agenda should be revised, given that some of its elements create an inflationary pressure on food products' prices, as well considering the projected crop shortages due to reduction of availability of fertilizer.

He concluded by stressing that investment in long term security of food supply should be the top concern on the Commission's agenda, asking the Commissioner whether measures in that regard are considered.

Commissioner Wojciechowski retorted by saying that some aspects of the EGD have indeed been revised, such as crop rotation requirements, or the temporal dropping of limitations on utilisation of land for agricultural purposes.

Mr Iwaniuk had also made an intervention, highlighting the need that rural areas face issues that go beyond matters of strictly agricultural import. Reminding members that over 80% of EU population lives in non-urbanised or rural areas – regions were most of food is produced - and that these areas face drastic depopulation, he stated that the EU needs to counteract this trend, as as it stands, the CAP or Cohesion policy fail to address these matters.