The launch of the European Commission’s Communication on the European Green Deal has been welcomed by European organisation CEJA, but it was highlighted that adequate funding would be needed to support farmers.
The young farmer representative group hailed the EU’s ambition to become the first climate-neutral continent.
Climate change will affect all members of society and there is a shared responsibility to act together in finding solutions, the group said.
Green Deal
Commenting on the Green Deal communication, CEJA president Jannes Maes said: “Young farmers want to participate in reaching the EU’s climate ambitions and achieving the objectives of the European Green Deal.
“Protecting the environment we work in is essential, alongside developing strategies for a fair and decent life for farmers.
“We must adapt to a changing climate, reduce our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and invest in the potential of the agricultural sector to sequester carbon.
Communicating about what we do at the farm level, particularly on best practices and mitigating the effects of climate change, will be very important.
“We also value the multi-actor approach that has been put forward by the European Commission in the framework of the Farm to Fork Strategy,” the president said.
Funding
The organisation highlighted that, for the agricultural sector to become more sustainable, funding must be made available so that the difficulty in accessing credit and investment aid “does not translate into a transition that leaves individuals behind”.
Enhancing the role of the European Investment Bank (EIB) as a climate bank is a step in the right direction, the group said in a statement.
Also, it was highlighted that access to knowledge on and education about how best to adapt to and mitigate climate change must be made available to farmers so they are aware of how such measures can be implemented in their everyday activities.
It is therefore crucial to ensure life-long education and training opportunities are properly funded, the group maintains.
CEJA counts on member states to play a part in this transition by ensuring the right conditions are in place so farmers can learn and grow their activity.