Lecture of 14-11-2012 on the Common Agricultural Policy and Food Security. Course: European Institutions and Policies. Public Administration and Policy Group, Wageningen University (NL)

1. The Common Agricultural Policy and Food
Security
European Union Institutions and Policies, PAP-53306
14th of November 2012, Jeroen Candel
Public Administration and Policy Group

2. A small quiz (1)
How much does the EU spend on the CAP?
A) 20% of its budget (27,5 billion euro per year)
B) 40% of its budget (55 billion euro per year)
C) 60% of its budget (82,5 billion euro per year)

3. A small quiz (2)
Who‟s the European commissioner for agriculture?
A) Dacian Ciolos
B) Mariann Fischer Boel
C) José Graziano da Silva

4. A small quiz (3)
Which country gets the most money?
A)France
B)Germany
C)Poland

5. What is the CAP?
 What do you know about the CAP?
 EU‟s main agricultural steering device
 Almost half (40%) of the EU Budget: 55 billion Euro per
year
 Surrounded by controversy

6. Today‟s lecture
 History (article Lynggaard & Nedergaard)
 Controversies
 The CAP towards 2020
 Food security (article Zahrnt)

7. Early years
 In effect as of 1962
 Food security
 Common market
 Secured income farmers
 Stimulating innovation
 Pioneer role Sicco Mansholt

8. 70s and 80s: crisis
 CAP big success, too big..:
 Costs
 High prices for consumers
 Environment
 Overproduction
 Pressure WTO
 1984: Quota, but insufficient: increasing pressure

9. Reforms
 1992 MacSharry Reform: direct income support
 Agenda 2000: rural development (second pillar)
 2003 Fischler Reform: decoupling, cross-
compliance, mulftifunctionality
 2013 Ciolos Reform?

10. How to explain these policy developments?
Lynggaard & Nedergaard (2009):
 Look at both preferences (ideas) and institutions
(interests)
 Shift toward post-materialist preferences
 Agricultural interests still most powerful
 Importance of periods in between reforms

11. Changes in preferences and institutions (1)

12. Changes in preferences and institutions (2)

13. Changes in preferences and institutions (3)

14. 50 years of CAP

15. Controversies
1. Size of the total budget
2. Distribution of the budget
3. Requirements for farmers
4. External effects

16. Source: European
Commission

20. Dacian Ciolos on the future of the CAP

21. What are the aims of the „new‟ CAP?
 Food security
 Quality, value and diversity of food
 Local employment

22. Food security (1)
To preserve the food production potential on a
sustainable basis throughout the EU, so as to
guarantee long-term food security for European
citizens and to contribute to growing world food
demand, expected by FAO to increase by 70% by
2050. Recent incidents of increased market
instability, often exacerbated by climate
change, further highlight these trends and pressures.
Europe's capacity to deliver food security is an
important long term choice for Europe which cannot
be taken for granted.

23. Food security (2)
 Traditionally issue development policies (e.g. Food
security thematic programme)
 But back on EU agricultural policy agenda (!)
 How come?
 Are these concerns justified?

24. Context: 2008 Food price crisis

25. Should food security be the CAP‟s primary
aim?
What do you think?

26. Zahrnt‟s response
Yes, fears are rising, but:
 Food production p/c constantly increased
 Food is relatively inexpensive
 EU production could, in real crisis, be increased
 Farm income and market support irrelevant for EU &
inefficient for global FS
 Invest in research and infrastructure dev. countries

27. “There are a number of threats out there about which we
cannot have absolute certainty: attacks by Martians, killer
mummies from the Pyramids and dinosaurs escaping from
Jurassic Parks. Serious policy makers have to analyze and
weigh these risks. Food security does not pass the test;
there is no reasonably discernible threat during the coming
decades.” (Zahrnt, 2011: 16)

28. Why then, are we still using the term?
 It resonates
 No one can be against it
 It provides legitimization
 A discursive weapon for all

29. Food security: different meanings

30. Different food security frames
 Framing: sense-making, interpreting, giving meaning to
social phenomena
 Food security on the rise, but frames differ
 Long term vs. short term food security
 Global vs. domestic/ regional food security
 Producer oriented vs. consumer oriented
  A diffused debate

31. What are the hot potatoes in the current
negotiations?
 It‟s not food security
 Size budget
 Greening measures
 7500 amendments European Parliament
 How to make rules that are both flexible and strict?

32. Position of The Netherlands
 Netherlands agree with redistribution (-8%)
 30% of income support coupled to greening
 But flexible greening measures!
 Groups of farmers/ collectives

33. Want to know more about the CAP?
 Commission website CAP
 Videoblog Foodpolitics.eu
„De slag om Brussel‟, Dutch tv
series about EU politics. Episode
of 12 November was about the
CAP and EU soy imports.
Twitter:
@ToekomstGLB (NL)
@ARC2020eu (EN)
@FoodPoliticsEU (EN)
@xAlan_Matthews (EN)

34. Thank you for your kind attention!
Any questions?
Jeroen.candel@wur.nl
www.wageningenur.nl/pap
Twitter: @JeroenWUR