The new EU Livestock Strategy will not distribute payments itself. But it will set the direction for future public support and shape which forms of livestock production the EU funds, promotes and supports, including through the post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). That makes it more than a sectoral strategy. Because these choices affect human, animal and environmental health, it is also a public health issue. The purpose of public support is to deliver public value, and health—understood through a One Health approach as the protection and promotion of human, animal and environmental health—is one of the public values against which agri-food policies, including the new EU Livestock Strategy, should be judged.
The post-2027 CAP and related instruments should:
- Prioritise health-promoting farming and food production through investment and promotion policies as a foundation for long-term competitiveness and environmental and social resilience—not only short-term market competitiveness.
- Embed AMR stewardship in the disease-prevention agenda. Disease prevention should focus on healthier production systems that reduce underlying dependence on antimicrobials.
- Apply health safeguards across investment, simplification and promotion to ensure public support incentivises production models that reduce underlying dependence on antimicrobials. This would help to avoid preventable health risks, healthcare costs and additional strain on health systems.
The principle is simple: public support should deliver public value—not only short-term market competitiveness.