The European Union launched it’s common agriculture policy (CAP) in 1962 in order to support farmers and productivity of the food they manage to produce for the whole EU. The European Commission is looking towards a road map for CAP beyond 2020. In the road map the Commission several notable objectives from the proposal the Commission aims to achieve such as have a more controlled allocation of money for all farmers to receive income support, especially those that need the support and helping younger farmers to join the business as soon as possible. Let me tell you why Farmer’s aren’t the biggest fan of the proposal.

In the 21st century European farmers have double the challenge when it comes to producing food which is to produce while protecting the nature. This becomes increasingly difficult when farmers have to minimize the amounts of resources they’re using and produce the most they can out of the prudent resources they’re using. Farming, being a farmer is an extremely demanding and it’s only going to harder with the plans the EU has in store for the future of CAP.

Cancel your vacation plans to FarmVille because the EU’s tightening up the belt. Partially in due part to Brexit and the shifting of priorities the Commission proposed an initial 5% cut of the CAP budget, meaning money is going to be a lot more controlled when it comes to the CAP budget following 2020. This outrageous demand received a quick EU farmers and the environmental community alike. European farmers have all the right to be outraged at the Commission’s proposal.The European Court of Auditors even stated in response to the proposal’s long-term goal is “not apparent”. The future of farmers are in the hands of businessmen, only corporate lobbyists are the ones that are happy with this cut.

“What we’re seeing in the EU along this route, I call it the ‘technology-free zone.’ […]  I think again they will pay the price for this in the future ”

US Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue

On top of it all instead of making friends across the pond we’re receiving threats from the US minister for agriculture. Regardless of his tone, Perdue made a fair point that Europe’s agriculture market is lacking behind compared to the US, Brazil & China in terms of growth. The lack in growth is largely due to the amount of pressure the farming sector is put under, the problem stems from the lack of access to new technologies and unpredictable political environment.

The farming business in Europe is behind, that is not what Europe is know for. There are definitive changes that need to come but the changes shouldn’t come at the cost of farmer’s livelihoods.

References:
European Commission. (2019). The common agricultural policy at a glance. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/food-farming-fisheries/key-policies/common-agricultural-policy/cap-glance_en#thepurposeandbenefitsofthecap
European Commission. (2019). Future of the common agricultural policy. Retrieved fromhttps://ec.europa.eu/info/food-farming-fisheries/key-policies/common-agricultural-policy/future-cap_en
European Environment Agency. (2019). Agriculture. Retrieved from https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/agriculture/intro#tab-news-and-articles
Michalopoulos, S. (2019). US agriculture minister: Europe will pay the price for ignoring science. Retrieved from https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/us-agriculture-minister-europe-will-pay-the-price-for-ignoring-science/
Michalopoulos, S. (2019). EU farmers ‘hostages’ of unstable politics and technology gap, report claims. Retrieved from
https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/eu-farmers-hostages-of-unstable-politics-and-technology-gap-report-claims/
Open Access Government. (2019). The future of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in Europe. Retrieved from https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/common-agricultural-policy-europe/62475/
Luke, F. (2019). Will the post-2020 CAP be a missed opportunity?. Retrieved from https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/opinion/will-the-post-2020-cap-be-a-missed-opportunity/