The latest trade report published by the European Commission underlines the need to strengthen sustainability and production autonomy in the agricultural sector
Brussels, Monday, 18th August 2025. On 24 July, the European Commission published a new edition of its agri-food trade monitoring report, with data up to April 2025. According to the document, EU agri-food imports increased by 17% compared to the same period in 2024, reaching €64.41 billion. Cocoa, coffee, fruit and nuts were among the top contributors to this growth. EU exports, meanwhile, totalled €79.67 billion during the first four months of the year.
These figures highlight the high external dependency of the European agri-food system and emphasise the importance of transitioning toward more sustainable, resilient and innovation-driven production models. In this context, the LIFE NextFUMIGREEN project plays a key role by developing a natural fumigant to replace chemical pesticides in greenhouse-grown horticultural crops.
By using solutions based on plant extracts, LIFE NextFUMIGREEN aims to reduce synthetic input dependency, improve soil health, preserve biodiversity and reinforce both food quality and safety. The project also promotes training actions for farmers and technicians to support the adoption of more sustainable pest control alternatives, particularly against whiteflies and fungal outbreaks such as botrytis.
With a total budget of €2,758,921.01 and a duration of four and a half years, LIFE NextFUMIGREEN is 60% co-funded by the European Union’s LIFE Programme. The project is coordinated by FumiHogar, with the participation of B&B Asesores, Comercial Química Massó, Tecnova, BrioAgro Tech and Fundación Finnova.
More information about the report:
EU agri-food trade grows, maintaining surplus – European Commission
More about LIFE NextFUMIGREEN:
https://lifefumigreen.finnova.eu/