Brussels – A major cross-sector review of food and farming, backed by the European Commission, has called for a fundamental rethink of farming to support the most vulnerable farmers and reward those who protect nature.

The recommendations were backed by a broad group, including farming lobby groups, food companies, retailers, biotech companies, environmental and consumer organisations, after a seven-month-long process set up by Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.

Von der Leyen has made responding to farmers’ concerns a central priority for her second term as Commission president, following widespread farmers’ protests earlier this year. The Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture is meant to underpin the Commission’s new “vision for agriculture and food”, which it plans to unveil within its first 100 days.

Marco Contiero, member of the Strategic Dialogue task force and Greenpeace EU agriculture policy director said: “It’s the subsidies, stupid. That such a broad and unlikely coalition is recommending these sweeping changes shows how broken EU farming policy is. It’s clear that subsidising rich landowners and choking the countryside with the excrement of millions of suffering pigs and cows isn’t helping the majority of farmers. The EU must stop bankrolling mega-farms that pollute our rivers and drive droughts and floods, and instead help those farmers who are struggling, but making an effort to restore nature and provide for healthier diets. It’s not Greenpeace saying it – the whole agricultural sector is calling for change. Von der Leyen has promised to help farmers. If she’s serious about ensuring that the future of farming in Europe is sustainable for nature and farmers’ livelihoods, she must pay close attention to today’s report, and start to make some real change.”

The Strategic Dialogue recommendations to the EU include: 

  • moving away from the current Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) system of payments  based on the size of farms, and instead supporting farmers with the lowest incomes; 
  • steadily increasing the annual amount of CAP subsidies for farmers who adopt practices that protect and restore nature, throughout the next two CAP reform periods;
  • reducing the negative climate, health and environmental impacts of animal farming, particularly in regions with high livestock concentration, including via buyout schemes;
  • driving a shift towards healthier and less resource-intensive diets, with higher consumption of plant-based food;
  • establishing a well resourced nature restoration fund, separate from the CAP, to support efforts to restore natural habitats;
  • protecting nature by maintaining and strengthening existing environmental legislation, including the Birds and Habitats directives, the Water Framework Directive, the Nitrates Directive, the Nature Restauration Law, and climate legislation; 
  • creating a Temporary Just Transition Fund, outside the scope of the CAP, to help farmers transition to sustainable farming; and
  • enforcing legislation against unfair trading practices.

Contacts:

Marco Contiero – Greenpeace EU agriculture policy director: +32 (0)477 777034, [email protected]  

Greenpeace EU press desk: +32 (0)2 274 1911, [email protected]

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