A report from the European Commission, published on Thursday 23 November, tends to confirm the important role of the strategic plans implementing the new common agricultural policy (CAP) 2023-2027 in maintaining farmers' incomes and food security and continuing the transition to a more sustainable agricultural model.
The report analyses the anticipated impact of the strategic plans on the achievement of the CAP’s objectives, in particular those relating to the environment, climate and societal expectations.
Given the increasing frequency of extreme weather events and the increasingly uncertain global geopolitical context, risk management tools need to be strengthened and used more widely within the EU, according to the report. Despite increasing efforts, only around 14% of farms in the EU should benefit from this aid (risk management) under the CAP.
“Plans have the potential to contribute to climate change mitigation, in particular by enhancing carbon sequestration”, the report explains. The plans show progress in the sustainable management of natural resources, especially in terms of soil and reduced dependence on chemical inputs.
“Further efforts could be made on sustainable water use and emissions of air pollutants”, according to the authors of the report.
The plans are also likely to contribute to halting and reversing the process of biodiversity loss, improving ecosystem services and preserving habitats and landscapes. “Nevertheless, given the scale of the needs in terms of biodiversity, the programmes must be more ambitious in their coverage (particularly with regard to the most intensively farmed land in the EU) and be provided with adequate financial support”, notes the Commission.
Link to the report: https://aeur.eu/f/9p0 (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)