Policymakers are being urged "to restore credibility and ambition for young farmers" in the upcoming Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) negotiations. 

Peter Meedendorp, president of CEJA, which represents young farmer organisations in the EU, addressed agriculture ministers at the informal AgriFish Council in Copenhagen, under the Danish presidency’s theme linking 'competitiveness' and the 'green transition'.

Speaking on behalf of Europe’s young farmers, Meedendorp said that competitiveness and the green transition "must go hand in hand".

"Young farmers want to remain relevant for the decades to come, but we need strong foundations: access to land, knowledge and innovation, fair value chains, and a coherent policy framework that gives us stability to invest," he said.

He highlighted that young farmers are already implementing transitions on the ground but warned against rigid EU rules that ignore practical realities.

“We are entrepreneurs, and we are not afraid of change," he said.

"But political choices must come with room for trade-offs, mistakes, and re-evaluation.

"The EU legal framework must be ambitious in its goals but not dogmatic in its design. It should support acceleration on farms, not punish mistakes.” 

Turning to the CAP post-2027 and the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), CEJA welcomed positive provisions such as the starter pack for young farmers, broader income support, and investment and risk management tools.

However, Meedendorp criticised the "lack of transparency" in the legislative process and the absence of a binding earmarking for young farmers' instruments compared to the current minimum spending of 3% of direct payments.

"Aspirational targets without binding commitments are not a strategy - they are a gamble," he continued.

"At EU level, it signals to the next generation that their future in farming is secondary.

"At member state and farmer level, it removes the leverage to secure concrete instruments for young farmers. We cannot afford that."