Sustainable Intensification
The recent publication NO CLEAN INDUSTRIAL DEAL WITHOUT A STRONGER EU AGRICULTURE, has prompted me to share some thoughts on what Sustainable Intensification implies.
Sustainable intensification means to produce more and better. In order to achieve this, the EC is speeding up the realization of more flexibility of the legal framework restrictions. Three different sectors that are impacting each-other growth and are separately measured by their substantial contribution to the bioeconomy are agriculture, pharmaceutical and chemical industry.
Notably, common key challenges for these sectors are
"unfair competition from imports" and "robust sustainable value chains"
that function in a "sovereign, efficient and affordable carbon neutral economy"
where the EU Single Market has provided for a culture to wait until the economic flow would be established in order to embrace the funding that would get absorbed mostly on a project basis. The policies developed to boost the economic growth and potentially job creation, have already demonstrated broader social, environmental and democratic implications associated with shifted inequalities, social unrest and environmental degradation (climate change).
The larger the initiatives, the easier to see manifestation of these phenomenon.
Examples such as renewable energy infrastructure, domestic pharmaceutical production and sustainable local farming - all labelled "Made in EU (home)", do challenge the organization at national level which is looking for new innovative models of governance in order to balance economic opportunity with social and environmental responsibility.
In this evolving landscape, there is an increased differentiation between the "young", the "working" and the "ageing" populations which are systematically assessed in this context when impact assessments are being performed.
Often the population of the children - who will ultimately inherit the long-term outcomes of these policies - would be overlooked in these evaluations.
The supportive social environments needed to foster sustainable lifestyle intervention are often limited to short-term, project-based initiatives rather than being deeply embedded in long-term policy frameworks.
To build a resilient, inclusive, and forward-looking European economy, a shift towards people-centered policy making is essential. By integrating social well-being into economic and industrial strategies, the EU can ensure that innovation and sovereignty go hand in hand with social cohesion, fairness, and sustainability—creating not just economic prosperity, but a thriving society for future generations.