Several members of the Luxembourg public have come together to submit a petition proposing that food products sourced from Luxembourgish agriculture, viticulture and horticulture be prioritised in state-subsidised institutions.
Petition N°668 was put forward by Marc Fisch, Marco Gaasch, Aloyse Marx and Schroeder, themselves presidents of the associations Centrale Paysanne, Chambre d?Agriculture, Fräie Lëtzebuerger Bauerverband and Bauerenallianz.
According to the petition authors, Luxembourg nurseries, schools, hospitals and homes for the elderly would benefit from catering which drew on local and regional products where possible. The benefits of this were cited as six-fold:
- It could provide consumers with locally-source products whose quality and traceability would therefore be ensured;
- It could preserve national landscapes and natural resources, reduce transportation, energy consumption and therefore greenhouse gas emissions;
- It could create new opportunities for indigenous agricultural products and thereby stengthen the economic base of agriculture, viticulture and horticulture in Luxembourg;
- It could support and develop craftwork and locl processing enterprises;
- It could maintain and create jobs in the Grand Duchy;
- It could support and develop the local and national economy and consequently promote sustainable development.
"Luxembourg agriculture, viticulture, horticulture and the food industry produce high-quality food in accordance with high norms and standards, ensuring a high level of food safety," the petition statement read. "Associated certifications and labels are undeniable witnesses."
This is one of several environmentally- and socially-conscious petitions to have emerged on the Chamber of Deputies website in recent weeks, following Petition n°654 calling for legislation to simultaneously tackle food waste and social inequality - the signatories for which have more than doubled in the last week.
The challenges currently faced by the European Union's agricultural sector have also been no secret and have recently been the subject of several EU-level meetings and stakeholder protests. On 24 May 2016, the first Assises de l'Agriculture was held in Luxembourg as a means of representatives of the government and the agricultural industry to develop solutions to the issue together.
The petition was opened to signatures today, Monday 6 June 2016 and has so far already amassed 109 electronic signatures. To sign the petition, click here.
Photo by Matthias Ripp
