EU’s new agricultural strategy begins in an unexpected place: in the school dining room

The market share of fruit and vegetables imported has grown up in a sustained way In the last years of countries outside the EU. Meanwhile, local producers see how their margins narrow before a competition with other rules. Faced with this reality, the European Commission It raises a turn in one of its most daily policies: That schools prioritize foods of community origin in their menus. A discreet measure in appearance, but that points directly to the heart of the European agricultural model.

A proposal of Brussels. All the fruit, vegetables and milk that reaches school canteens from EU countries will have to be local products. The proposal, presented last week, directly affects the European school program in force since 2017which seeks to promote healthy eating habits from nursery to high school.

According to the draft to which Financial Times has had accessthe new text includes an explicit clause to favor “Made in Europe” products, not only for nutritional reasons, but as part of a broader strategy of impulse to community production.

More than health. On the one hand, the initiative is part of a protectionist tendency that has already reached other key sectors such as defense, energy or critical raw materials. On the other, it is part of the debate on the future of common agricultural policy (PAC), one of the key pieces of the European budget.

According to El Confidencial reportthe reform of the multiannual financial framework (2028–2034), endowed with two billion euros, cuts the PAC in favor of items such as defense, which has caused strong criticisms of the agricultural sector. Associations of Spanish farmers have already protested in Brussels against cuts that consider “a conviction” for the field.

Concern is not only economical, but also structural. The Commission recognizes, in the document itself, that there is a growing imbalance in the food chain that especially affects primary producers. In the words of the text: “The unfair distribution of income, risks and cost burden disproportionately affect the agricultural sector.”

Adaptation of the new standard. The new approach seeks to adapt the current school program of the PAC to the current demands. According to the draft filtered by Financial Times and confirmed by the official website of the Commissionproducts of community origin will be prioritized, with low climatic footprint, certified as ecological, sustainably packaged or from small local farms. In addition, those products rich in added sugars and saturated fats will be excluded from the plan. A community official cited by FT Thus summed up the philosophy of the measure: “It is good that the children know that this apple comes from a tree five kilometers from their home.”

Currently, 17 Member States already apply criteria for local or regional preference in their school programs, according to the commission itself. The intention is to harmonize this practice at European level and reinforce it.

The structural problem. The school reform arrives at an especially sensitive moment. Morocco has established itself as one of the main suppliers of EU fruits and vegetables, displacing in some cases the European product. According to An article by El Economistathe community import of Moroccan fruits and vegetables grew by 14% in the first quarter of 2025.

A commitment to food sovereignty. Although the school proposal may seem secondary in economic terms, it is part of a broader paradigm change. As Financial Times remembersBrussels has begun to introduce “Made in Europe” clauses in strategic areas such as defense, state aid to the green sector and now also in the agri -food system.

The objective is not to close borders, but to establish fairer reciprocity conditions and reinforce sectors considered strategic for the stability of the continent. Among them, food. According to the commissionguaranteeing access to safe, affordable and quality foods is one of the pillars of the European project, together with the defense of the rural economy.

A difficult bet. Beyond the food debate, what is at stake is a definition of economic, commercial and social model for the future of Europe. In an era of growing global protectionism, the European Commission gives clear signals: from defense to school breakfast, the “made in Europe” wants to impose as a norm. But in the attempt to protect the European farmer, Brussels site delicate land, where commercial tensions and market realities are not always so easy to digest.

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