Declaration of Berlin: A sustainable future where we all fit in

After its General Assembly in Berlin, AVEC The European Poultry Meat Association, in which Avianza and AMACO participate as representatives of our country, have launched a joint declaration of all its national members in favour of the challenges of sustainability in the sector. 

This Berlin Declaration(English version), which you can see below, represents the vision of a strategic European poultry sector (chicken, turkey, quail, duck, goose and others), whose combined production exceeds 38 billion euros, with exports of more than 2 billion euros per year. 

More than 25,000 family farms across Europe generate around 370,000 direct jobs. 

"Avianza subscribes to the Berlin Declaration as a necessary point of reflection of the entire European poultry sector on the main challenges that we have been addressing from each of our national interprofessional organisations. The response to the great demands of our society and our consumers to advance in sustainable food in all its aspects is in the hands of our farmers and companies in the sector, who have been working for years to ensure the highest standards of quality, safety and respect for the environment. It is more necessary than ever to listen to them. Jordi Montfort, Secretary General of Avianza.

Berlin Declaration

AVEC and the representatives of the respective national member associations commit to develop and promote a Sustainability Charter to be presented in early 2022. The charter will aim to find the best balance between the three pillars of sustainability: environmental, social and economic, to be consistent with the objectives of the EU Green Pact and the Farm to Table Strategy.

AVEC has initiated a reflection process with the aim of addressing the upcoming challenges of our planet, which we believe cannot be fought alone, but must be tackled with a common approach. Therefore, all stakeholders in the production chain (breeding company representatives, farmer representatives, food processors, academics and scientists) are participating in this initiative.

With this declaration, the European poultry meat sector commits itself to a sustainable future.

Our agreement

The European poultry meat sector is a competitive, innovative and sustainable sector that contributes significantly to the balanced and healthy diet of people in Europe and around the world. We supply high quality poultry meat from species such as chicken, turkey, quail, duck, goose and others.

The poultry meat sector is a strategic asset in the EU food system, with a total production value of 38 billion euros, exports worth more than 2 billion euros per year and provides direct employment for more than 370,000 people. On 25,000 family farms across Europe, chickens, turkeys and ducks are reared to high standards.

In Europe, conventional poultry meat production accounts for 80% of the market. Using highly efficient production processes, only a minimal amount of natural resources is needed to generate a high-value protein source for the human diet.

Implementing the highest welfare standards for our animals is part of our DNA and we are proud to be a world leader in this area. Crucial to achieving animal welfare and high product quality is the extensive experience of our highly qualified professionals, who bring many years of experience to our sector.

Our mission is progress

We are a progressive and committed industry that is constantly working on the development of our processes along the entire production chain. As an integrated industry, we work closely together and benefit from the exchange of knowledge at all levels.

We are aware that society and politicians in the European Union are engaged in an intense debate about the future of livestock farming. We see ourselves as an active part of this discussion and as a reliable partner. We advocate an open, responsive and constructive dialogue with EU institutions, politicians and relevant stakeholders, striving to find new solutions.

Context

To ensure a just transition to a more sustainable European poultry meat production, EU authorities need to ensure and enforce a level playing field with international trading partners and require identical rules for imported poultry meat.

In the context of the European Green Pact and the Farm to Fork strategy in which the 27 EU Member States committed to making the European Union the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, the EU poultry sector wants to contribute to a more sustainable world.