Brussels, 03/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 1 November, European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC) called for the next common agricultural policy (CAP) to be one which provides a real response to social, environmental and international challenges and which ensures “GM-free agriculture and food production in Europe”.
After the conference which it organised in Brussels on 27 October to discuss the CAP after 2013, ECVC also called for: - farm income based on fair prices that reflect the costs of production which is sustainable socially and environmentally; - public regulation of European agricultural production and markets; - change in the existing rules of international agricultural trade; - transparency in the food chain; - quality standards and food safety adapted to short supply chains and small farms; - equal rights for male and female farmers.
“The CAP must allow different types of agriculture to exist side by side in a stable and predictable framework, which will permit long-term investment,” said Belgian Agriculture Minister and President in office of the EU Council of Ministers. “CAP reform must target two groups: European farmers and citizens/consumers,” she added
“Public tools are needed to manage the domestic market to hedge against price fluctuations in international transactions,” said Jean-Christophe Kroll, professor at AgroSup Dijon. MEP Luis Capoulas Santos (S&D, Portugal) argued: “The key issue is the CAP budget and it will be difficult to keep the budget at current levels. We will have to fight for a fairer and more equitable CAP among member states, regions and farmers and also for a legitimate CAP for taxpayers and European citizens”. To bring this about, he said, subsidies based on environmental and social criteria would have to be targeted, and positive discrimination for certain sectors such as family farming and organic agriculture introduced.
“Agriculture is not just a commodity,” stated European Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Cioloº. He added: “We need to ensure greater sustainability and greater diversity for future agriculture”. He concluded by saying that the CAP must “support those that integrate food, territorial and environmental objectives and simple support is needed for small farms and short supply chains”. (L.C./transl.rt)