Climate Change Archives - Agricultural and Rural Convention

Ukraine – The Elephant in the Room that Could Unlock CAP Reform

November 19, 2024 Hans Wetzels

Ukraine is on our screens every day. Still the countryside and its people mainly appear either as victims of war or as soldiers – not as citizens, workers or farmers. When it comes to its vast swaths of agricultural and rural areas, mostly the largest farming entities and their difficulties to export make it into the news. But there is a surprising rural reality in Ukraine that should play a key role when taking a closer look at what a possible EU accession after the war would mean for Ukrainians and citizens of the EU alike. […]

European Parliament backs Weakened EU Deforestation Law amid Voting Chaos

November 14, 2024 Natasha Foote

The European Parliament has voted in favour of the proposed one-year delay in the implementation of the EU’s new deforestation law and thrown its weight behind a new ‘no-risk’ category for countries. But amid voting system failures and more negotiations to come, the vote is far from the end of the story. Feeling bamboo-zled? Here Natasha Foote breaks down all you need to know. […]

CAP Strategic Plans: A European Food and Agricultural Policy for Times of War

September 17, 2024 Frederic Courleux

The EU’s recent decision to tax Russian cereals over Ukrainian ones, and the maintenance of solidary lanes with Ukraine despite protests, highlights the relationship between policy and geopolitical tensions. So where next for the CAP? Frederic Courleux argues that CAP must evolve from its neoliberal framework to prioritize food security, economic stability, as well as agro-ecological sustainability. This transition includes securing trade through government-to-government agreements, fostering food stockpiling for inflation control, and integrating food aid into agricultural policies. […]

Re-CAP: Breaking down the breakdown of the EU’s green farming measures

July 28, 2024 Natasha Foote

The last few months have been a rollercoaster ride for the EU’s farming subsidy programme, which has seen its green ambitions sacrificed on the altar of food security and politics. As this mandate comes to a close, ARC has put together a re-CAP for you with all the twists and turns in the Common Agricultural Policy over the past few years – and what’s next for the policy. […]

“CAP-as-you-wish Instead of Future-Proof Farming and Food Policy”

May 27, 2024 ARC

There have been massive protests by farmers in many European countries in recent months. Depending on the country, different agricultural policy issues have played a role. Hannes Lorenzen, President of ARC2020, on the state and prospects of EU agricultural policy. This interview originally appeared in the German magazine “Unabhängige Bauernstimme”. […]

Stuck in Silos: Report on CAP Strategic Plans

December 14, 2023 ARC

The project CAP Strategic Plans co-organised by ARC2020 with the Good Food Good Farming network is now completing its fourth year since its launch in 2020. 2023 can be seen as the end of a policy reform cycle and beginning of a new one for the Common Agricultural Policy, aka CAP. Just recently, the Commission published its main takeaways and conclusions on the joint effort and collective ambition of the CAP Strategic Plans 2023-2027 (CSPs). Read our report. […]

A Sustainable Food System Law Paving the Way for an Ambitious CAP Reform

November 2, 2023 Matteo Metta

As has become very familiar in recent months, another opportunity to better integrate CAP and the pledges of the European Green Deal is being missed. Instead of watering down the ambition, this time the mainstream political establishment simply postponed or abandoned DG SANTE’s law proposal for a European Framework for Sustainable Food Systems. Yet, there are many ways the CAP or the Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas could accompany and bridge with the upcoming SFS. […]

Impact of CAP Beyond the EU – A Closer Look on Soya Imports and Milk Product Exports

October 17, 2023 ARC

Are subsidies provided to farmers in the EU generating deforestation in Brazil? Or the decline of pastoral communities in Sahel? In this article, we shed light on the CAP’s implications beyond the EU, focusing on its influence on the global trade of soya and milk products and examining its implications for local populations. […]

EU Fails to Deliver on Food System Transformation in Face of Environmental Collapse

October 10, 2023 Jeroen Candel

In this op-ed, Dr. Jeroen Candel, associate professor of food and agricultural policy, Wageningen University, the Netherlands, points to the failures of EU institutions to deliver on the Farm to Fork strategy, despite the impacts of worsening climate and biodiversity collapse. […]

CAP Social Conditionality: A Game Changer for Farm Workers?

October 4, 2023 Mathieu Willard

In a new CAP that largely maintains the status quo, social conditionality emerges as one of the few truly innovative elements. But is it going to be a real game-changer? This new legislative tool has the potential to improve the working conditions of millions of farm workers. But does it offer the means to achieve this goal? In this article, we will explore what can be anticipated and discuss ways to enhance its effectiveness. […]

French CAP Strategic Plan : EU Sued over Approval of the Plan

September 25, 2023 ARC

Did the Commission breach its own laws by approving the French CAP Strategic Plan? According to Collectif Nourrir and ClientEarth, it did! After their internal request for an internal review of the approval of the plan fell short, the two organisations decided to take it to the next level, and bring the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union. So what are their arguments? And what results can be expected of the process? Let’s assess […]

“A Fairer CAP”, Really? | Analysing Fairwashing in CAP Talks and Practices

August 28, 2023 Matteo Metta

Now that the CAP Strategic Plans are approved and running, is the CAP really fairer? Read our report «“A Fairer CAP”, Really?». […]

Adapting Agricultural Practices to Climate Change – Seeds, Beans and Lessons from the Ground Up

July 10, 2023 ARC

On July 5th 2023, the European Commission tabled its proposal for revised seed marketing legislation. Exploring institutional shortcomings to prioritise and safeguard agrobiodiversity in a changing climate, Seeds4All project co-ordinator Adèle Pautrat and policy analyst Mathieu Willard zoom into the case of white bean production in southern France, before presenting broader issues that the future seed law should address. […]

CAP Strategic Plans: More Money, Less Liability

June 29, 2023 Mathieu Willard

EU Agriculture is in crisis mode. And so is the CAP. For two years in a row, the CAP crisis reserve has been spent to help farmers deal with the adverse consequences of the invasion of Ukraine and climate change. At the same time, Member States are asking for reduced environmental obligations in 2024. What happened during this week’s AgriFish council CAP wise? We guide you through the updates. […]

CAP Environmental Derogations: What is the Impact on Food Security?

June 4, 2023 Mathieu Willard

Looking at the CAP, 2022 and 2023 have been marked by multiple authorised derogations on environmental standards. Those derogations, claimed to be necessary to ensure food security in Europe, have been highly criticised by the scientific community. As the data on food production resulting from these derogations emerges, we examine the concrete impact of these decisions on food security in the EU. […]