WILLAGRI
The EU is reforming the CAP, but the current proposals dismantle ecological requirements, which could harm climate and environmental goals. The European Union’s efforts to reform agricultural policy risk undermining farmers’ environmental initiatives. The proposed changes in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) promote environmental deregulation, which could harm biodiversity, soil health and water quality, which are essential for sustainable agriculture. Nature credits, while promising, add an administrative burden and remain voluntary, which could limit their financial impact for farmers. These reforms seem to run counter to farmers’ interests and the EU’s environmental objectives. Farmers face economic and climate challenges, including high costs and losses due to extreme weather events. The CAP changes favour large landowners and reduce environmental requirements, without public consultation or impact assessment. Nature credits, although interesting, remain difficult to quantify and are not enough to fill the biodiversity funding gap. These reforms could jeopardize food and water security, while leaving farmers unsatisfied.
Source : Bloomberg