Council of the European Union’s Post

Political ambitions and vested interests are preventing agriculture policies from implementing a solid, science-based rationale. This is truly a shame for the European Commission and a growing threat to European citizens, farmers included. #cap #ecosystemservices #resilience #ecologicalconnectivity

🚨 The European Commission's proposal to remove basic environmental conditions from the #CAP is anti-democratic & feeds the false narrative that we must pick between the environment and agriculture. The food and farming system in Europe is not working. The Common Agricultural Policy is geared to benefit the biggest players. Smallholdings across Europe are going bankrupt or are overburdened with debts. Understandably, farmers are angry. But the European Commission, under the pressure from Big Agri, is pushing a false ‘nature vs farmers’ narrative. Recently, the Commission presented a proposal to reduce "the administrative burden weighing on farmers’ shoulders”. But what they actually propose is to backtrack environmental requirements that are vital to farming. On top of that, the process was anti-democratic. For this proposal, the Commission only consulted 4 farming organisations behind closed doors. And only one of them asked for this revision. They didn’t do an impact assessment and failed to include the public. This goes against the Commission’s own guidelines on better regulations. With 15 other organisations, we ask President Ursula von der Leyen to withdraw this unlawful proposal and respect a transparent & inclusive consultation process. Decisions that affect farmers, the environment & human health must be taken in full consideration of everyone's interests. Read our joint letter: https://lnkd.in/eBriCrpt

🚨The EU Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) is an essential tool to green European farming. Following massive farmers’ protests in spring, the European Commission is misleadingly pushing dangerous amendments that would remove environmental safeguards from the CAP, putting the long-term future of farming at risk.  At foodwatch, we are very concerned about these latest developments that will boost agro-industry profits at the expense of our environment, biodiversity, small-scale farmers and health. This move undermines the credibility of European institutions and needs to be resisted.  It's time to stand up and say NO to these detrimental changes! Want to know more? Read foodwatch Senior Campaigns Strategist Natacha Cingotti op-ed on the issue. https://lnkd.in/dEK_rC82

💡Soil for food, food for thought. 🌱How is the EU addressing challenges in #soilhealth and #agriculture? Read about it in our new article “The EU Green Deal 2019-2024: Soil health, CAP, and Challenges”👇 https://ow.ly/xMgr50ShNej

🌱 Exciting news in European agriculture! 🌱 This week marked a significant milestone for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the European Union. The European Parliament voted in favour of the amendments to the CAP, with a resounding 425 votes in favour. 👇🏻 💡 These amendments were proposed by the European Commission last March in response to concerns voiced by farmers. 🚜 The review addressed issues encountered with the implementation of the CAP strategic plans and aimed to deliver simplification, reduce the administrative burden 📄, and provide greater flexibility for complying with certain environmental conditionalities. The approval by the EP without adopting any amendments ensures the fast application of the adopted changes. In any case, the Commission’s proposal was also subject to criticism by lobbies and political groups in Brussels as they reduce the minimum sustainable standards that farmers have to comply with (GAECs). 🌾 Let’s celebrate this demonstration of support to farmers after the protests, acknowledge the criticism, and look forward to a more sustainable and farmer-friendly future in European agriculture! 🎉👩🏻🌾👨🏻🌾 #CAP #Agriculture #Farmers #Sustainability

🌾📢 News for EU farmers! The European Commission proposes a temporary change to agricultural rules for 2024. This initiative aims to provide flexibility for #farmers facing the dual challenges of geopolitical tensions and extreme weather events, enabling them to maintain sustainable practices while safeguarding their incomes. 🎯 The proposal allows for alternative means to fulfill #biodiversity obligations, offering farmers the option to dedicate at least 7% of arable land to features like fallow land, nitrogen-fixing crops, or catch crops. This adjustment is seen as a crucial step in addressing immediate income concerns without compromising long-term environmental goals. More information 👉 https://bit.ly/3wbZtnw

🚨 Today, #AgriFish ministers are meeting to discuss the future of EU Agriculture. We urge them to prioritize sustainable, nature-friendly, and resilient agriculture in the EU. Achieving this requires repurposing the Common Agricultural Policy (which currently receives 1/3rd of the EU budget) with a just transition towards social and environmental sustainability as its core objective. It’s the only way we will be able to produce food on the long term! 🌱 ➡️ Our open letter https://lnkd.in/erHMzdjF

An important piece of investigative journalism from Kirsty Johnston. "This RNZ investigation uses background interviews with industry insiders, officials, and experts, as well as documents obtained under the Official Information Act, such as cabinet papers, government reports and ministers’ diary entries to tell the full story of how the agriculture industry lobbied its way out of paying a climate tax, again." Also some notable insight (consistent with my experience with developing water policy too): "The paper noted there was a “degree of paradox” in farmers’ attitude towards the environment. For example, while farmers said they felt responsible for the environment, they were unwilling to accept their practices had environmental implications. Equally, farmers were sceptical about the importance of their role in influencing climate change, but acknowledged the importance of changes they had made to lessen the impact of future droughts." #ClimatePolicy #Agriculture #Agribusiness #Lobbying https://lnkd.in/gmTAJeam

Exciting News for European Union Farmers The European Commission is proposing new rules to help farmers tackle challenges like extreme weather and high energy prices. Key highlights: ✅ Flexibility for Farmers: New rules allow farmers to deviate from the 4% land fallow requirement, offering alternatives like growing nitrogen-fixing crops on 7% of their land. This boosts production and income while ensuring environmental protection. 🌱 Balancing Act: Maintaining a balance between increased output and environmental conservation, these rules align with the EU's commitment to sustainable farming practices. 📅 Pending Approval: Awaiting approval from the European Parliament and Council, these rules represent a positive step toward addressing current challenges. At Farm To Plate, we welcome these steps toward a sustainable future for European Union farmers. Let's continue discussing the future of agriculture in the EU together.🌍 #Agriculture #Farming #EUFarmers #Environment #Sustainability #FutureOfFarming

An interesting paper overviewing how food security and environmental concerns can be reconciled, in agriculture... somebody should tell the Welsh Government (for all the good that might do... ho, hum): https://lnkd.in/e7s5gHua