“Agroecology is a transdisciplinary science, combining different scientific disciplines to seek solutions to real world problems, working in partnership with multiple stakeholders, considering their local knowledge and cultural values. Agroecological practices harness, maintain and enhance biological and ecological processes in agricultural production, in order to reduce the use of purchased inputs that include fossil fuels and agrochemicals and to create more diverse, resilient and productive agroecosystems..”
– High Level Panel of Experts, Food & Agriculture Organization ( Report )
Let’s make this a reality!
– Green: Youth for Agroecology additions/modifications to the CAP SP COMENVI report
– Orange: parts of our amendments that relate to policy coherence (F2F, or Biodiversity Strategy, or any other EU legislative texts and propositions)
– Black: articles from the COMENVI report that we support
To elaborate these propositions, we first referred to the COMENVI report, since it was the most update as well as the most ambitious regarding environmental-friendly targets/measures. In addition, we read the Farm-to-Fork Strategy and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, to check if these policies were in accordance with the CAP.
5 Key Amendments
Amendment 1 – Biodiversity : aligning to the EU Nature Restoration Commitments to 2030 is crucial for a healthy agriculture.
Articles from ENVI Report – Article 6: Specific Objectives (d) contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation, (f) enhance ecosystem services including in rural areas, and halt and reverse biodiversity loss, including pollinators; to contribute to the conservation, preservation and enhancement of habitats, High Nature Value farming systems, species, and landscapes; in line with the 2030 Biodiversity Strategy Objectives.
Justification: Scaling up nature restoration efforts is imperative in order to bring biodiversity back to agricultural land. By doing so, ecosystem services associated with it including soil erosion prevention, water filtration and emissions reduction will be multiplied. In the long term, increased biodiversity leads to increased agricultural production. Restoration should be carried out in an ecologically meaningful way through the consultation of experts. Finally, linking CAP Strategic Plans with the Biodiversity strategy increases policy coherence in the EU and ensures legal backing.
Amendment 2 – Support local production: fostering local food chains contributes to ensure food security and sovereignty while dynamising regional territories of the EU.
Articles from ENVI Report – Article 27a (new): Complementary income for sustainable producers supplying local and regional markets.
1. Member States may provide for complementary income support for sustainable producers supplying local and regional markets under the conditions set out in this Article and as further specified in their CAP Strategic Plans.
2. As part of their obligations to contribute to the specific objective “improve the farmers’ position in the value chain, including by promoting short supply chains” set out in point (c) of Article 6(1), Member States may provide a complementary income support for sustainable producers who primarily supply local and regional markets and who are entitled to a payment under the basic income support as referred to in Article 17.
3. The complementary income support for sustainable producers supplying local and regional markets shall take the form of an annual decoupled payment per eligible hectare.
4. To facilitate the implementation of this measure and to foster the local resilience and production, the Commission will propose harmonised mandatory front-of-pack labelling and will consider to propose the extension of mandatory origin or provenance indications to certain products.
5. To ensure policy coherence, especially with the Farm to Fork Strategy, the Commission will clarify the scope of competition rules in the TFEU for collective initiatives that promote sustainability in food supply chains such as the consumption of sustainable, organic, local products by school’s canteens.
Justification: A financial incentive will facilitate the relocation of our European food systems. This will have positive impacts both on the climate by reducing CO2 emissions, but also on the environment in general. In addition to stimulating rural development, encouraging the relocation of our food systems will help to revalue the position of farmers : By democratising food systems, small supply-chains offer a more realistic price in line with the cost of production. Front-of-pack labelling will improve the transparency of products and empower the consumer by leaving him the choice to select local products.
Source : Nyéléni, 2019, Policy coherence is the key to greening the CAP. Aligning the new CAP with the EU’s climate and environmental objectives, as set out in the Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy is crucial. It will help to ensure food security by creating more resilient food systems.
Source : IPES-FOOD, 2020 and EP
Amendment 3 – Youth involvement : ensuring the transmission of sustainable agricultural knowledge to the youth to reach food security in an eco-responsible way.
Creation of a paragraph 7 for article 72. Knowledge exchange and information (…)
7. Member States shall ensure intergenerational dialogue and distribution of competences in agriculture ; Intergenerational dialogue and distribution of competences shall promote sustainable agricultural methods and gender equality mainstreaming ; Intergenerational dialogue and distribution of competences may be implemented through initiatives such as activities raising awareness on the agricultural world among the youth and on-farm training; On-farm training may involve middle and high school students in a two-week traineeship in agroecology, climate change and environmental knowledge.
Making sure the youth has enough knowledge and skills in the agricultural field is crucial to ensure food security. See how FAO emphasises initiatives such as trainings to develop agricultural competences among the youth: http://www.fao.org/3/a-i5024e.pdf
FOA report: “For youth to successfully participate in the agricultural sector, access to both information and education are crucial. In addition to knowledge of agricultural production and processing techniques and the relative know-how, young farmers need access to information about finance, land and markets.” ( p.16, 2014)
Amendment 4 – Mixed farming structures : mixed-farming is a more resilient, more sustainable agriculture, which is also more adjusted to climate-change and allows for pesticide use cuts.
Article 70. Installation and development of mixed farming structures Member States may grant support for the installation of mixed farming structures led by new or current farmers under the conditions set out in this Article and as further specified in their CAP Strategic Plans with the view of contributing to the achievement of the specific objectives set out in Article 6. 1. Member States may only grant support under this type of interventions to help: (a). the installation of mixed farming structures that may not be profitable at start; (b). the development of specific strategic plans in farms to improve crop diversity and/or mixed-farming under different forms; (c). the development of farms implementing in their strategic plan elements of mixed to being part of local development and environment strategies such as converting into organic farming or using agro ecological principles;
2. Member States shall set conditions for the submission and the content of a business plan.
3. Member States shall grant support in the form of lump sums. Support shall be limited to the maximum amount of EUR 100 000 and may be combined with other financial instruments.
Amendment 5 – Plant-based Diet: encouraging the shift to a plant-based diet is paramount to tackle overweight, obesity and environmental issues.
Articles from ENVI Report – Article 58: Types of intervention 1. As regards the objectives referred to in points (a) to (g) of Article 59 Member States shall choose in their CAP Strategic Plans one or more of the following types of intervention: (f). promotion, communication and marketing including actions and activities aimed in particular at raising consumer awareness about the Union quality schemes and the importance of healthy diets as well as the need to shift to plant-based diets, and at diversification of markets;
(g) promoting an EU-level definition of healthy food based on scientific evidence that includes the impact of food production and consumption on health, climate and the environment.
(h) Aligning environmentally-sound food production orientations and dietary recommendations as described in the Farm to Fork proposal with menu options in public procurements.
Justification: EAT Lancet report: “Transformation to healthy diets by 2050 will require substantial dietary shifts. Global consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes will have to double, and consumption of foods such as red meat and sugar will have to be reduced by more than 50%. A diet rich in plant-based foods and with fewer animal source foods confers both improved health and environmental benefits”
–Friends of the Earth report: -enhancing food sovereignty
–Reduce environmental footprint: Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers “Communicating average product impacts to consumers enables dietary change and should be pursued”
–IEEP report: “Promote sustainable food consumption, facilitating the shift towards healthy, sustainable diets: Improve the role for sustainable public food public procurement, including catering”
