Agricultural co-ops have welcomed a report on the future of EU agriculture published on 4 September.
The report is produced by the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture, a group of 29 major stakeholders from the European agri-food sectors, civil society, rural communities and academia and will inform the European Commission’s upcoming Vision for Agriculture and Food.
As part of the initiative, the group’s chair, Professor Strohschneider, requested input from EU-wide organisations across the food supply chain and met with ministers of agriculture of member states, the full college of EU Commissioners, MEPs and representatives of the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.
The members of the group held seven plenary meetings between January and August, with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen in attendance for three of them.
The report’s recommendations include allocating farmers and their co-operatives targeted support from the EU for specific schemes improving sustainability; reinforcing and encouraging the organisation of sectors in agricultural co-operatives; and setting up an Agri-food Just Transition Fund (AJTF) outside the CAP to support investments by farmers and other food system actors for their sustainability transition.
“I warmly congratulate the members of the Strategic Dialogue for their important work,” said von der Leyen. “The outcome of this Strategic Dialogue shows that it’s possible to move beyond a polarised debate and create trust among very diverse stakeholders. The Commission will now take a careful look at their ideas. We all want a thriving food and farming sector across our continent, that rewards our farmers, citizens and precious natural heritage.
“With this report, we have a very solid foundation for the development of a new vision for food and farming in Europe. As we go forward we should keep the good spirit, energy and the relationships forged during the Strategic Dialogue.”
“After seven months of intensive work, the members of the Strategic Dialogue agreed on a shared conceptual consensus for the future of farming and food in Europe, through a new culture of mutual understanding and communication,” said Professor Peter Strohschneider, chair of the Strategic Dialogue.
“These joint perspectives, agreed by a diverse and representative group of stakeholders in this sector, form a holistic and societal approach to addressing the EU’s environmental, climate, economic and socio-political goals. It is my profound hope that the energy, ingenuity and collegiality of the Strategic Dialogue can be maintained for similar purposes in the future.”
Copa and Cogeca, which represent European farmers and agricultural co-ops, played an active role in this dialogue. They welcomed the report’s consensus on recognising agriculture and food as strategic sectors for Europe, the imperative need to ensure food security, and the commitment to competitive sustainability.
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Other key outcomes for the two apexes were the emphasis on financing the necessary transitions – whether through a “dedicated and commensurate Common Agricultural Policy budge”, a “temporary Just Transition Fund” and “a well-resourced nature restoration fund”. They also viewed positively the report’s recommendation to strengthen public-private partnerships to mobilise capital.
“I am particularly glad that the strategic dialogue recognises the important role that our co-operative enterprises play in strengthening the farmer in the value chain and boosting the sustainable competitiveness of our sectors,” said Cogeca’s president, Lennart Nilson.
But Copa and Copgeca also argued that the challenges faced by the farming community, such as unfair competition, limited incomes, rising energy costs, the need for generational renewal, and climate change, will only intensify if not tackled with a “timely, pragmatic, and impact-driven approach to policymaking”.
“This report should be viewed as the beginning of a constructive process that will lead to a more balanced, and strategic vision of agriculture under Ursula von der Leyen,” said Copa’s president Christiane Lambert. “We must continue the dialogue and involve the European Parliament and Council. Many stakeholders will share their views on this report in the coming days and weeks, and Commission must listen to them.”
The two apexes also shared their joint view on the proposal to create a European Board on Agri-Food (EBAF) as a high-level forum for ongoing and deeper exchanges among key players at the European level. They argued “the process must require greater transparency, including broader involvement of farmers and agri co-operatives”.
