Toespraak van minister Schippers tijdens de opening van de Europese conferentie over de aanpak verbetering voedingsmiddelen

Toespraak | 22-02-2016

Good morning ladies and gentlemen,

We did some shopping this morning.

10 grams of sugar in one bowl of cereals, 7 grams of sugar a biscuit, nearly 14 grams of sugar per glas of juice.
 

Did you know that European children consume between 20 to 35 grams of sugars just by eating breakfast? Just for breakfast. Depending on the choices parents make.
 

Ladies and gentlemen,
 

Food. It’s a hot topic these days. Bloggers earn a living out of it. Gurus write bestsellers on it. And don’t we all love talking about it…
 

At the same time the food industry is not at the peak of its popularity, to put it mildly. On the contrary. Our daily food is said to be 'unnatural', 'unhealthy' and 'chemical'.
 

Ladies and gentlemen, we tend to forget where we came from. In post-war Europe, food security was a real problem. The average diet humdrum.
 

A problem that could not be solved by politicians alone. We solved it together with our farmers, food producers, the industry. And we solved it successfully. Never in the history of Europe, did people have such easy access to a great variety of safe and affordable foods as today. A luxury, but still people tend to romanticize the past.
 

Compliments are in order for all entrepreneurs and innovators that contributed to food security in Europe. Nevertheless, we cannot sit back on our laurels. Because Europe today has different problems. We face a different reality. No lack of food. No lack of varíety.
 

But the situation is urgent again.  Take your time to look at these figures! Imagine what this means. These are the facts. Behind them are the people.
 

People unable to go to work or school, unable to lead active and productive lives. People with diabetes, struggling with severe complications. Blindness, hart diseases, or in the worst case: even amputations.

If we do not act now, in a few decades, we will gain 11 million patients with diabetes in the EU. That is more people than the entire population of Portugal or Belgium.
 

The social and economic impact is huge, not to mention the impact on our health care. Again, a problem that cannot be solved by politicians alone.

And again, we need our best entrepreneurs and innovators to join us. Because it is too easy to point the finger at people’s poor diets and frame it as a lack of discipline. Or maybe a lack of skills to make the right choice.
 

I believe it is more complicated than that. Yes, lifestyle is a matter of personal choice and personal freedom, a matter that is close to my heart.  But it is also a matter of product offering.
 

Food is everywhere. At home, at work, in restaurants, in the streets, the train station, at school. It requires some discipline to change a bad habit. We all know from experience. At least I do.
 

But even if people make a real effort to eat healthily, too often they end up with unhealthy products in their basket or cupboards.
Too much salt in that so-called healthy vegetable soup, way too much sugar in that super food yoghurt, or those healthy looking breakfast cereals. Too much saturated fats in those organic whole wheat biscuits. And so on.
 

It is too easy to point the finger at the industry and simply say: let's forbid or tax unhealthy food. This will only promote substitution. While hampering innovation and fair competition. Actually, I don’t believe in pointing fingers at all. I believe we should join forces and work together on product improvement. Respecting people’s freedom of choice. But making the healthy choice the easy choice. Thereby accommodating people who make an effort to live healthy. And more: making a healthy lifestyle the standard. Especially for our children!
 

The food industry, the caterers, restaurants, canteens, supermarkets and other food supplyers are the key players here. Their role is crucial.

Not just crucial for the health of our citizens. Not just a social responsibility. But crucial as well for their own future.
 

Lifestyle related diseases are a worldwide problem, also in emerging economies. Producing food that is both tasty and healthy, will give companies a worldwide business advantage.
 

Today is an opportunity to discuss our common challenges, to discuss possible solutions and work together on a Roadmap for action. Today is an opportunity to stop pointing fingers.
 

So let’s take this next step, or rather: this next leap. Not backward, to a romanticized past. But forward, to a healthy future for our children and ourselves. Thank you!
 

You may have thought I had forgotten, but before I introduce our next speakers also on behalf of my colleague the Minister for Agriculture of the Netherlands Martijn van Dam, I would like to warmly welcome commissioner Andriukaitis, mr Sven Bucht, the Swedish Minister of Rural Affairs and mr Chris Fearne, the Parliamentary Secretary for Health of Malta. Thank you for joining us today. And I am as pleased to see not only officials from the member states and the WHO, but also representatives of the industry, business associations and NGO’ s. Thank you all for being here! Having said that, I present to you a great example of an entrepreneur and innovator in healthy food, please welcome Mathieu Robert and Maarten de Jong.