Farmers need EU cash to face ‘mind-boggling demands’

THE former head of European agriculture, Franz Fischler, has urged EU member states to resist agricultural budget cuts against the ‘mind-boggling demands’ faced by farmers.

The architect of the 2003 CAP reform told delegates at the Forum for the Future of Agriculture in Brussels last week that global environmental pressures meant the production of eco-systems had become as important as that of food for farmers.

But he warned cuts in agricultural budgets and an inability to reward farmers for the provision of public goods, that the market does not pay for, would force producers out of business.

He said the current system gave farmers ‘too little on incentives to do what society wants’ and warned budget cuts would jeopardise Europe’s environmental and food security.

A reformed CAP ‘must recognise and promote the missing link between agriculture and climate change’ he said.

“As any other entrepreneur, farmers are in business as long as they can make a buck. If they can’t do so anymore they have to drop out,” said Mr Fischler.

He urged the European Commission to push the CAP back up the political agenda to reflect the changing face of agriculture.

“Our challenge in Europe is to devise a new CAP ensuring that Europe’s objective of self-sufficiency in food (its original, successful purpose), is superseded by new objectives, such as improving the capacity to sustainably contribute to global food security and to produce more public goods at the same time, notably those that improve the eco-system,” he said.

He added the CAP must also ensure correction of market failures and establish a level playing field for farmers to operate under fair conditions in Europe.

26 March 2010