This was stated by Cristina Guarda, MEP of the Greens/European Free Alliance, on the sidelines of the event “The Rebirth of Legumes in Europe”, which was held at the European Parliament in Brussels and concerned the future of vegetable proteins on the European political agenda, between the Commission’s Comprehensive Protein Plan and the reforms of the CAP and the CMO.
She explained: “Closing the Strait of Hormuz would result in a loss of between 20 and 45% of the very products on which we depend, because we have built an agricultural system that relies on imported seeds. This means higher costs for farmers, which will then be passed on through the food chain and ultimately to supermarkets”.
About the possible solutions: “We must invest in farmers’ autonomy from A to Z, starting with fertilizers; and so the use of legumes in crop rotations means generating greater autonomy by reducing fertilizer use, since legumes are nitrogen fixers and thus allow us to improve soil fertility, biodiversity, and the production of essential, staple foods—from proteins to fruits and vegetables to grains—so that we can be more self-sufficient at the European level and create a supply chain that allows farmers to avoid dependence on imports of all those”.