Reacting to the European Commission’s Communication on the future of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), Stanka Becheva, food sovereignty campaigner at Friends of the Earth Europe said:
“Farmers need to earn a decent income to supply local communities and markets with healthy food that doesn’t damage the environment. Instead of moving us towards this much-needed future, today’s CAP plan pushes aggressive liberalisation, ‘techno-fixes’ and exports, which is a recipe for disaster for the environment, farmers and citizens across the whole world. The Commission’s proposals only pay lip service to sustainable farming, and lack both plans and the political will to achieve it.
“It focuses on badly-targeted hand-outs that will inevitably support agri-business and major corporations. Local markets, diverse food enterprises and agroecological farming provide better jobs, healthy food and protect the environment.”
Responding to plans to devolve implementation powers to Member States, Stanka Becheva continued: “Giving Member States more leeway to implement the CAP would mean a race to the bottom. Member States have a track record of using the weakest possible implementation options – as seen with greening.”
Friends of the Earth Europe is urging the Commission to listen to the 150+ civil society organisations that are calling for good food and good farming when it comes out with its next legislative steps on the CAP.
