The European Parliament has taken steps to support the future of young farmers as MEPs have voted to ensure generational renewal in farming.
The vote, which had 43 votes for, 0 votes against, and 1 abstention, means that the draft resolution that was voted by MEPs agrees that the future of agriculture is dependent on generational renewal.
The draft resolution that was adopted by the committee on agriculture and rural development, will seek to create policies to attract young farmers to agriculture.
Current Agriland columnist Thomas Duffy, a former president of Macra and also a former vice-president the European Council of Young Farmers (CEJA), said on social media that it is an “incredible achievement for CEJA” and that there is “no future for farming without young farmers able to enter it”.
Peter Meedendorp, president of CEJA, said “generational renewal has to stay on top of the agenda, and we will make sure that all institutions and stakeholders are aware of it”.
Land access
Issues surrounding the price and availability of land were identified by MEPs who saw them as barriers for young people in becoming a farmer.
They therefore propose to adopt an EU legislation to improve the functioning of national farmland markets and address land concentration.
MEPs are seeking for the EU to monitor trends and prices for land sales, and to create a database that will ensure greater transparency of land transactions in the EU.
Price controls on land sales and rental, long-term usage guarantees, and pre-emptive rights are further measures being sought by MEPs to be implemented by member states.
Young farmers should be also offered lower interest rates and support for their first loan instalment, as well as advisory for their better financial literacy, MEPs said.
Generational renewal
The report calls for national strategies in EU countries to promote generational change including financial support for land transfers and pension protection.
MEPs agreed that EU countries should also create a position of a farm succession facilitator that can provide guidance during farm transfers from one generation to the next.
To design policies in line with the needs of young farmers, MEPs propose that the commission assess the needs of young farmers in impact assessment of new policies.