CAP reform
EU hits pause on helping farmers fight climate change
The farming sector is often blasted for its contribution to climate change. But it also has unique potential to capture and store carbon, write Imke Lübbeke and Andreas Baumüller.
Will the post-2020 CAP be a missed opportunity?
MEPs need to overhaul the European Commission's plans to reform the Common Agricultural Policy, to attract young farmers, give farmers a fair wage, and protect the environment, argues Luke Flanagan.
Why the new CAP will be worse for the climate and farmers
With €365 billion between 2021-2027 the Common Agricultural Policy will continue to represent the second biggest budget of the EU. The CAP’s objectives remain largely unchanged since 1962 and need to be radically reviewed if we want them to reflect social demands and the finite environmental limits, write a group of Green MEPs.
Only a nutrition-sensitive CAP can deliver on climate and health
The evidence is clear: to secure a thriving future for people and planet we need to collectively transform our eating patterns towards healthier, more plant-rich diets. The EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP) can facilitate this transition. But several misunderstandings hinder progress.
Why new CAP must place small sustainable producers at the centre
A new report published by a network of European grassroots civil society organisations calls for a Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) and wider policy framework that explicitly favours small-scale sustainable producers and re-localisation of food supply-chains, write Chris Chancellor and Geneviève Savigny....
No water, no agriculture
The state of Europe’s water ecosystems puts a big question mark over the future availability of freshwater, for people and for all manner of industry, not least for food production and agriculture, writes Jabier Ruiz.
Citizens are fed up with industrial agriculture
Europe's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was a big issue at this year's Green Week in Berlin. With all the billions of euros available, the agro-ecological transition is more than possible, especially if subsidies to agribusiness and factory farms were stopped, write Harriet Bradley and Trees Robijns.
Time to give up sacred EU budget cows
As EU member states debate the bloc’s next 7-year budget, no sector should be off-limits. Annika Hedberg argues that each euro spent should provide added value for the EU and its citizens, including the agricultural sector, a major recipient of EU money.
EU protein plan: will the cure be worse than the disease?
On 17 December, EU agriculture ministers will discuss ideas published by the European Commission to reduce the amount of unsustainable overseas soy imported into the EU – by growing more here, writes Stanka Becheva.Special ReportPromoted content
EU fertiliser industry at the crossroads between nutrition and energy
We live in fascinating times where technology is evolving at an ever-increasing pace, spurring major shifts in many industries. This is also the case for the fertilizer sector, writes Jacob Hansen, director general of Fertilizers Europe.
We need transition farming in the EU
European tastes are changing and so must farms, therefore we need to support a transition away from industrial animal farming, writes Alexandra Clark.
A watertight CAP
The European Commission needs to deliver an agricultural policy that does not reward agricultural pollution, write Claudia Castell-Exner and Arjen Frentz from Europe's drinking water and wastewater service operators (EurEau).
‘Smart villages’ are modernisation tools to be taken seriously
The expansion of e-tools in rural areas will enable villages to become more agile, make better use of their resources as well as improve their attractiveness and the quality of life of rural residents, argue MEPs Franc Bogovic and Tibor Szanyi.
Phasing out pesticides is the chance for Europe to heal its environment and economy
The recent re-authorisation of glyphosate controversy highlighted the many issues surrounding pesticides, their purpose and our dependency on them, as well as the harm they bring to our health and the environment, writes Natacha Cingotti.
Europe must get serious about short food supply chains
Europe must get serious about short food supply chains (SFSC) and put an end to the frustrating inconsistencies within the Common Agricultural Policy and with other European policy fields, write Maria Heubuch and Bart Staes.Promoted content
CAP reform’s eco-schemes: eco-logic or eco-nomic? Why not both?
The proposal for the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy triggered a lot of criticism from a wide range of stakeholders, especially around the environmental aspects. But Yara believes the eco-scheme to be in line with the Commission’s ambition of moving to a “smarter, simpler, fairer and more sustainable” CAP.
The moment for a future-proof EU agriculture and food policy is now
The next reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) should bring agricultural and food policies out of their respective silos and align actions across different areas in support of building sustainable food systems, write Sirpa Pietikainen and Bart Staes.
British have always detested the CAP: What now, with UKAP?
Britain’s business world sees the transition period as a positive achievement, but for the UK it would be like jumping out of the EU plane without a parachute, writes Daniel Guéguen.
Europe needs more money for research, here’s where to get it
The lack of funding needed to achieve Europe's widely advertised ambitions for global excellence in research and innovation should be addressed in discussing Horizon 2020’s successor. Understanding the challenge and where the money could realistically come from is key, writes Thomas Estermann.
Back to the future: An agricultural conundrum
A drive through the rural areas of the EU is an adventure in landscapes, cuisine, culture and history. The countryside has also been a driver of economic and societal development in the EU since its foundation. With almost 40% of the EU budget going towards the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), its significance cannot be underestimated, writes Fiona Lally.
Hogan’s CAP proposal: failure to launch transition for tax payers, environment
Phil Hogan sent at least one clear message with his communication on “The Future of Food and Farming”: in the future, farm policy will mainly be dealt with from the respective EU capitals, writes Konstantin Kreiser
Fipronil crisis: Why should we keep on using these toxic substances?
The withdrawal of millions of eggs from the market produced in the Netherlands and Belgium should motivate the EU to shift towards a different model of agriculture, argues Martin Dermine.
Brexit is a chance for farming reform – but we must get the policy right
Britain's withdrawal from the EU undoubtedly carries risks but it may also create the opportunity to build a greener, more efficient, and innovative farming sector. If this happens, Ngaire Woods argues, the EU and other economies might follow suit.
