European green deal: Experience of food safety for Ukraine

The systematization of European experience in the formation of food safety through research and analysis of European regulations and strategies. The key principles of the European Green Deal on food safety were analyzed, namely the implementation of the principle of sustainability of food systems and policies for adaptation to climate change. The levels of food safety of Ukraine and Poland were compared according to the main components: food availability, access to food, food safety conditions. According to the results of a sociological study, the level of food safety of Ukraine in terms of the introduction of the land market was assessed. A portrait of a landowner was formed, and the presence of a land plot affects the state of food supply. Based on the analysis of the main provisions of the European Green Deal and food safety policy (on the example of Poland), the areas of increasing the level of food safety in Ukraine were identified: completion of land reform and lifting the moratorium on the sale of agricultural land; ensuring the production of value-added products; adaptation to climate change, development, and implementation of a national program for rural development.

Perceived Causes and Solutions to Soil Degradation in the UK and Norway

Soil quality is declining in many parts of the world, with implications for the productivity, resilience and sustainability of agri-food systems. Research suggests multiple causes of soil degradation with no single solution and a divided stakeholder opinion on how to manage this problem. However, creating socially acceptable and effective policies to halt soil degradation requires engagement with a diverse range of stakeholders who possess different and complementary knowledge, experiences and perspectives. To understand how British and Norwegian agricultural stakeholders perceived the causes of and solutions to soil degradation, we used Q-methodology with 114 respondents, including farmers, scientists and agricultural advisers. For the UK, respondents thought the causes were due to loss of soil structure, soil erosion, compaction and loss of organic matter; the perceived solutions were to develop more collaborative research between researchers and farmers, invest in training, improve trust between farmers and regulatory agencies, and reduce soil compaction. In Norway, respondents thought soils were degrading due to soil erosion, monocultures and loss of soil structure; they believed the solutions were to reduce compaction, increase rotation and invest in agricultural training. There was an overarching theme related to industrialised agriculture being responsible for declining soil quality in both countries. We highlight potential areas for land use policy development in Norway and the UK, including multi-actor approaches that may improve the social acceptance of these policies. This study also illustrates how Q-methodology may be used to co-produce stakeholder-driven policy options to address land degradation.