A story of how Common Agricultural Policy affects the farmers life and agriculture practice in the EU.

1. What is it like
being a farmer in
Europe?

2. Agriculture in Europe plays a crucial role in sustaining rural livelihoods as well as preserving the
diversity of cultural landscapes and the wildlife.
Europe has 12 million farmers and through the
food chain employs more than 47 million people.
EU representing the largest global exporter and importer
of agri-food products - valued at €275 billion in 2017 (€138
billion of exports and €137 billion of imports).
Over 75percent of the EU's territory is rural area where
almost 50percent is farmland with nearly a third forest.

3. To support the agriculture sector, since 1962, EU has implementing the
Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The CAP is one of the largest of the
EU budgetary funds under the EU Multi-annual Financial Framework
(MFF) and provides the principal source of funding for land
management.

4. Progress?

7. Biodiversity and the EU’s landscapes are profoundly affected by agriculture. Agriculture is a key driver of
biodiversity loss in the EU.
Intensification and the abandonment of low-intensity biodiversity-rich farming systems are among the
main agriculture-related pressures affecting species.
Eutrophication, caused by nitrogen leaching from livestock farms and use of synthetic fertilisers use,
constitutes a major reason behind biodiversity loss.
The loss of pollinators, including bees, is of particular concern from a food security point of view as
pollinator-dependent crops play an important role in our diets.
Pressures to nature posing problems

8. Hurts small farmers
Disproportionate spend on farmers
Overproduction
Distorted market
Environmental degradation
The subsidy from CAP, in
reality...

9. Over the years, CAP has undergone a lot of reforms. The
latest one was proposed in 2018-2019. Now, with a
transitional provisions, the stakeholders should play an
active and promoting role until the final adoption of the
CAP Strategic Plans.
Now CAP is incorporating EU Green Deal, and especially
using Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategy.

10. FAO’s principles:
1. Improving efficiency in the use of
resource
2. Conserve, protect, enhance natural
resource
3. Protect and improve rural
livelihoods, equity, and social
well-being
4. Enhance the resilience of the people
and ecosystem
5. Responsible and effective
governance mechanism
One of the most popular approach is
Agroecology.
Agriculture that protects.

11. Building Ecological Recycling Agriculture and Societies – BERAS
– signposts solutions to the negative impact of intensive,
specialised conventional arable and livestock farming in the
Baltic region.
BERAS: Ecological nutrient recycling in the Baltic region
Italy: The Slow Food
Story of the Sinni Valley Signora Pear
The Slow Food Presidia revitalises food and rural communities; of
producers working together using aspects of Europe’s Common
Agricultural Policy to market their local, unique commodities.

12. Productivity
Degradation