Brussels, 02/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - Europe's commitment to rural development (which is one of the pillars of the CAP) would receive very valuable aid if the agri-food systems setup received more support. This was one of the messages addressed to Commissioner Dacian Cioloº (agriculture) by the Committee of the Regions (CoR). Lenie Dwars-Van de Beek (ALDE, the Netherlands) presented her outlook opinion on social agri-food systems and exhorted the commissioner to follow the contribution he had addressed to the CoR by taking into account the suggestions that she had made with regard to improving access for farmers and food producers to local markets.
In a press release, the CoR underlines that in her opinion Lenie Dwars-Van de Beek also illustrates how local and regional authorities play an essential role in providing assistance to farmers and food producers, so that they can sell their products locally, which benefits both the economy and the environment. (G.B./transl.fl)