The European Commission’s proposals to reform the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) will not prevent climate change, protect biodiversity or stop the collapse of family farming, claim Friends of the Earth Europe today. The claim comes in response to a leaked communication from the Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos, who lays out a range of ideas for reforming agriculture in Europe but fails to make any concrete proposals.
Friends of the Earth Europe believes that a radical reform is needed to make the CAP fairer, as well as reduce Europe’s dependency on soy animal feeds from South America – a major driver of deforestation, climate emissions and rural conflict.
Commenting on the leaked communication, Mute Schimpf, food campaigner for Friends of the Earth Europe said: “Commissioner Ciolos needs to significantly strengthen proposals to kick start the debate about the future of farming in Europe. To stop the destruction of forests and rural communities we need to urgently reduce our dependency on imported soy and shift subsidies to allow European farmers to grow their own protein feeds for their animals.”
Friends of the Earth Europe is calling for a more radical approach to protect farmers globally by preventing the food industry from buying raw products such as milk and meat at low global dumping prices.
Mute Schimpf continued: “Agriculture and the global market simply don’t mix. Food giants will always go for the cheapest products and farmers around the world will always suffer. We need a radical reform that allows Europe to feed itself, gives fair prices to farmers, and protects the environment.”
