MEP Herbert Dorfmann (EPP, Italy) tabled an amendment on Wednesday 13 October ahead of next week’s plenary vote on the Farm to Fork Strategy, mentioning in a recital the analyses of the Joint Research Centre, among others, which conclude that the implementation of the Strategy’s quantitative targets would “substantially impact” agricultural production in the EU (see other news article).
The amendment (https://bit.ly/3BHXuVU ), supported by MEPs from other groups (including Renew Europe), stresses the need to publish impact assessments and to “take into account cumulative effects” of the Strategy.
In this context, the first results, published on Wednesday, of a study by Wageningen University (Netherlands) commissioned by Croplife Europe, point to the significant impact of the Farm to Fork Strategy on agricultural yields.
Johan Bremmer, one of the authors of the Wageningen report, explained that losses were estimated at between 7 and 50% when targets for reducing pesticide use, fertiliser use and farmland were included (but not targets for expanding organic areas). In another scenario for the deployment of organic agriculture, he estimates a drop in production of less than 10% and a price increase of up to 13%.
Taking into account the challenges, according to the Commissioner for Agriculture. During the strategy conference taking place on Thursday 14 and Friday 15 October, Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski called the Strategy’s objectives “ambitious, but achievable. This has been shown in recent studies, including by the Joint Research Centre.” The Commissioner admitted, however, that “the studies have also identified some of the challenges we will face. It is important to take full account of these challenges. We are taking a big step, and we must look before we leap.”
The Commissioner added, “We must also remember the grave challenges that will face us if we do not carry out this Strategy – for our environment, our farming sector, and our society.”
Via Campesina supports the Strategy. Furthermore, while there is significant criticism of this Strategy in the agricultural world (see EUROPE 12810/9), the European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC) sent a letter (https://bit.ly/3aFn41T ) to the Commission on Wednesday 13 October stating that it considers the Farm to Fork Strategy to be a “promising first step in the direction of this more holistic vision of agriculture, which takes into account the aspects of food linked to public health and the social and environmental issues of agricultural production”. ECVC supports the objectives of the strategy, but insists on the need to put in place solid regulatory tools. They are “entirely essential to achieve the strategy’s objectives”, concludes Via Campesina.
Link to the draft report tabled by the European Parliament: https://bit.ly/3FHShjn (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)