European farm organisations have called for “swift and coherent actions” following the publication of the final report of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture.
The report entitled ‘A shared prospect for farming and food in Europe’, assesses the challenges and opportunities facing the s, followed by a set of recommendations.
The strategic dialogue was announced by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her State of the Union address in September 2023.
The process brought together 29 major stakeholders from the European agri-food sectors, civil society, rural communities and academia.
The move followed numerous protests across Europe, including Ireland, by the farming sector.
Report
Copa Cogeca, the umbrella group representing over 22 million EU farmers, said the final report marks a first step toward the development of the “Agri-Food Vision” as announced by President von der Leyen in July.
The presidents of Copa and Cogeca, who participated in the dialogue, commended the change in method used for the report and called for “swift and coherent actions”.
The organisations particularly welcomed the consensus on recognising agriculture and food as strategic sectors for Europe, the imperative need of ensuring food security, and the commitment to competitive sustainability.
Along with reviewing financing under the Common Agricultural Policy, the report recommends acting on selling below cost, improving transparency, addressing unfair trade practices, and promoting the cooperative model.
Cogeca president Lennart Nilson welcomed the recognition of the important role played by cooperative enterprises “in strengthening the farmer in the value chain and boosting the sustainable competitiveness of our sectors”.
The group said it remains “vigilant” on a number of points in the report, especially the place of livestock farming and the recommendations on balanced diets.
“This report should be viewed as the beginning of a constructive process that will lead to a more balanced, and strategic vision of agriculture under Ursula von der Leyen,” Copa president Christiane Lambert said.
“We must continue the dialogue and involve the European Parliament and Council. Many stakeholders will share their views on this report in the coming days and weeks, and Commission must listen to them,” she added.
Copa and Cogeca noted the proposal to create a European Board on Agri-Food (EBAF) as a high-level forum for ongoing and deeper exchanges among key players at the European level.
Young farmers
CEJA, the European Council of Young Farmers, which also took part in the seven-month process, said the final report “provides young farmers with practical pathways in the sustainable transition”.
The organisation welcomed that the dialogue “has encouraged the emergence of a new governance model”.
“We are moving away from a methodology of defining objectives as high as possible for farmers to align with, to actually making steps into the transition in a collective and strategic way,” CEJA president, Peter Meedendorp, said.
“For us, the policy choice is simple: we can either spend 30 years fighting on the objectives to achieve, or we can act now and make sure every farmer in Europe has the capacity to develop viable and sustainable activities that benefit both their socio-economic conditions and the society at large,” he added.
The report contains a number of recommendations on generational renewal including a new action plan and the introduction of a €3 billion loan package by the European Investment Bank (EIB) with preferential access to young farmers.
Organics
IFOAM Organics Europe also welcomed the report, stating that it provides “a common framework for action to reach the EU’s environmental goals in the agri-food system”.
Jan Plagge, IFOAM Organics Europe’s President, took part in the process said: “The Strategic Dialogue was not a walk in the park, but it proved to be a valuable initiative to move beyond the current polarisation on agriculture issues.
“The dialogue succeeded in identifying a common way forward for EU agriculture considering it should be within the planetary boundaries and reconcile environmental sustainability with a fair income for farmers.
“There is broad agreement that transitioning to sustainable farming systems is necessary and should pay off for farmers.
“This will mean a significant reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) so it adequately rewards organic farmers and offers real financial added value for the environmental services they are providing.”
Plagge added that if policymakers implement the report’s recommendations, “organic farming would be further strengthened and more attractive in a food system in which the sustainable choice would be the easiest”.