The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, launched, on Thursday 25 January, the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of Agriculture with the relevant shareholders, calling it a way to “overcome polarisation”, particularly over environmental legislation.
Nearly thirty representatives of farming organisations, the agri-food sector, environmental NGOs and experts met in Brussels which was chaired by the German academic, Peter Strohschneider.
Promised since September, this meeting comes at a time when, between motorway blockades and tractor parades, the farmers’ discontent is affecting France, Germany, Belgium, Romania and Poland, after the Netherlands. Farmers’ anger is directed in particular at European environmental standards and imports deemed unfair in the EU.
Ms von der Leyen acknowledged that it was not easy to reach a common vision on the future of agriculture.
“We all have the same sense of urgency that things have to improve, that we have to find a new way forward and common, sustainable solutions to the problems” at a time when farmers “are operating on a daily basis in a very competitive market”, said the President.
“As you are often the most vulnerable part of the value chain, you naturally deserve to be fairly remunerated. Our aim is to support your livelihoods and guarantee European food security”, also assured the President of the institution.
While the recent protests have targeted various national triggers, they also point to common factors: extreme weather events, bird flu, soaring fuel prices, and an influx of Ukrainian products since customs duties are due to be lifted in 2022.
The new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the legislation stemming from the European Green Deal are crystallising discontent. “It’s time to put an end to free trade agreements and resolutely take the road to food sovereignty”, said the European Coordination Via Campesina.
“The collective objectives of the European Green Deal are existential: we all live off nature. And while we certainly don’t always agree on these issues, we do agree that the challenges are mounting, be it competition from abroad, be it overregulation at home, be it climate change or the loss of biodiversity”, summarised Ms von der Leyen.
Among the themes proposed to the speakers: farmers’ incomes, the sustainability of their practices, technological innovation and competitiveness.
With meetings scheduled to take place approximately every four to six weeks, participants are expected to deliver their conclusions by the end of the summer in order to prepare the ground for the next Commission and the drafting of the next CAP starting in 2028.
Decent wages. Speaking to the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture the previous day, Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-President of the European Commission, advocated “a global approach” involving the entire food supply chain. He stressed the need to ensure that farmers were paid “a decent wage”. Farmers need visibility, he also acknowledged.
The outcome of this dialogue will be used to prepare work on the new CAP (after 2027), confirmed Maroš Šefčovič. He suggested using new technologies to reduce administrative burdens.
Herbert Dorfmann (EPP, Italian) expressed his doubts about the functioning of this strategic dialogue. Farmers are demanding a decent wage, while prices have not budged for 25 years, he said.
Clara Aguilera (S&D, Spanish) spoke of a serious situation due to the numerous reforms of the CAP. The European Green Deal had not been properly explained, she regretted. Farmers’ anger is being exploited for political ends, criticised Ms Aguilera.
For Martin Häusling (Greens/EFA, German), the prices of agricultural products are insufficient. According to Dacian Cioloș (Renew Europe, Romanian), instability is caused by climate change, the war in Ukraine and the “lack of coherence in our decisions”. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)