Reboot or regression: Omnibus I risks for the agri-food sector
- Title
- Reboot or regression: Omnibus I risks for the agri-food sector
- Publication Date
- June 30, 2025
How Omnibus I jeopardises progress in the CSDDD for human rights and environmental protection in the agri-food sector
WeWorld, together with 17 European organizations, amongst which partners from #RebootingTheFoodSystems project, has drafted a common position paper on how Omnibus I jeopardizes progress in the CSDDD for human rights and environmental protection in the agri-food sector.
The agri-food sector is considered high-risk: it contributes 21–37% of global greenhouse gas emissions, accounts for 60% of child labour worldwide, and relies heavily on labour exploitation (with an estimated 400,000–450,000 exploited workers in Italy alone, over 80% of whom are migrants). An effective directive is urgently needed to protect people, the environment, and businesses from unfair competition arising from exploitative practices in global markets.
With this document we are calling for a transparent, inclusive, and democratic revision process. We call on decision makers to ensure a strong and ambitious CSDDD to ensure fairer economies, sustainable agri-food systems, and effective climate action.
In particular, we ask to ensure:
- a risk-based approach, where corporate due diligence is applied throughout the entire value chain to address violations where they are most likely to occur;
- harmonised civil liability mechanisms across Europe for human rights and environmental violations;
- implementation — not just adoption — of climate transition plans;
- meaningful engagement of all relevant stakeholders to effectively identify and prevent risks