MEPs on the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture were divided on Wednesday 2 February over whether to include the target of devoting 25% of agricultural land to organic farming by 2030 in their recommendations.
This target is part of the European Commission’s action plan to achieve the European Green Deal goal of devoting 25% of agricultural land to organic farming by 2030.
Rapporteur Simone Schmiedtbauer (EPP, Austria) presented the eight compromise amendments negotiated between the political groups on the organic action plan, which do not mention the 25% figure (see EUROPE 12848/16).
Éric Andrieu (S&D, France) supported the inclusion of the 25% target, even if it is ambitious, as it requires the “tripling of organic production”.
Benoît Biteau (Greens/EFA, France) welcomed the Commission’s “reasonable” proposed figure of 25%. He acknowledged that these products must be made accessible to all consumers, through public policies. Claude Gruffat (Greens/EFA, France) also asked for the inclusion of the 25% target. Bronis Ropė (Greens/EFA, Lithuania) called for “additional funding for the countries most in need”.
Ulrike Müller (Renew Europe, Germany) said that the 25% target was ambitious, given that the current figure is 8% in the EU.
Gilles Lebreton (ID, France) considered that the 25% target “is unrealistic”. Anne Sander (EPP, France) called for “a good balance between supply and demand”, given that “buyers cannot be found” for some products, such as organic milk. Ms Sander and Franc Bogovič (EPP, Slovenia) also emphasized that there is a risk of a price drop. Finally, Ms Sander concluded that conventional agriculture must not be “discredited”.
Most MEPs stressed the need to act jointly on supply and demand and to work on local supply chains. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)