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5.4        The need for policies supporting systemic responses

To move towards sustainability, future policy responses will need to be systemic and maximise opportunities for positive environment change along the whole agricultural production and linked consumption systems (EEA, 2019h). In the past, much of the European policy framework tackling agricultural pressures on the water environment has focused on regulating agriculture, and less so on tackling drivers in food and energy systems, and the broader bioeconomy. More integrated responses would aim to align water, agricultural, food, energy, climate, trade, and other environmental and sectoral policies, considering transversal and cross-cutting dimensions (FAO, 2014; Venghaus and Hake, 2018).

In recent years, there has been a shift towards greater policy coherence and integration, and tackling Europe’s challenges in a systemic way. The Farm-to-Fork Strategy is an example for such systemic policy thinking. Decoupling environmental degradation and economic development - and moving to a greener and more resource efficient economy - has become a priority, but requires implementation and more needs to be done to become more sustainable This transformation will also be needed to adapt to the impacts form climate change.