Kieran Sullivan is a part-time sheep farmer in south-east Ireland. How does CAP relate to his way of farming and his plans? Pillar 1 Pillar 2, bureaucracy and vested interests all play a part in his story. […]
When we change how land is used, it doesn’t just impact on this one area. Italian trio Riccardo Scalenghe, Francesco Malucelli and Mario Catizzone examine soil matters in the Emilia-Romagna Plain, Italy, and help us understand what is truly lost when we loose soil without thinking about all the impacts. […]
The role of farming in climate change mitigation is controversial and fraught. The UN COP (Conference of Parties) Climate Change has tentatively introduced soil and carbon sequestration into its workings, via 4 pour 1000. However the role of particular agronomic practices involving livestock is under special scrutiny. Does livestock release more than it sequesters, or does the farming model matter? What about deep carbon storage? And how will policy makers work with new research and 4p1000? […]
As his opening contribution to #SoilMatters, Soil Scientist Mario Catizzone outlines some immutable soil facts, while introducing the UN FAO’s Voluntary Guidelines on Sustainable Soil Management […]
Sebastian Lakner & Guy Pe’er question the effectiveness of the current CAP’s performance, as well as the lack of ambition in the CAP communication. Current direct payments and upcoming supposed flexibilities are considered in detail. […]
Soil Scientist Dr. Andrea Beste opens our #SoilMatters debate by telling us about humus, soil structures & the limits of no-till. […]
#SoilMatters – so how best to treat it? In this debate we welcome both big and broad takes on best approaches, as well as detailed analysis of specific agri-industrial inputs and their soil impacts. We will feature soil experts, farmers, stakeholders of varying styles and approaches in this #SoilMatters debate. We aim for a wide range of perspectives. Join in now! […]
Here we present a range of perspectives on the recent CAP Communication by Commissioner Phil Hogan. A range of farmer organisations, NGOs, experts and others are represented. […]
Farms have to be viable economically to survive and indeed thrive. Nevertheless, as the years pass, it’s worth thinking about how the farming life is lived. Stress, workload, debt – how do these impact on wellbeing? […]
A silver lining in the Brexit cloud is that people can radically rethink how food, farming and the rural space operate in the UK. What will this mean for direct payments, for environmental regulations, for food security – and who will do the hard work of farming? Finally, is some of this blue sky thinking of interest to the rest of Europe? […]
Wrapping up this third curated debate, we in ARC2020 begin to draw elements of a road map for how the Common Agricultural Policy could evolve. The timing is perfect – the European Commission has recently launched a consultation on modernisation and simplification of the CAP. Let’s use this #AfterCAP debate as a springboard to delve deeper into Europe’s agri-food and rural policies. […]
By embracing the productivist paradigm of producing more food to feed a rapidly growing population, Copa Cogeca’s vision for the future CAP ensures that crises in EU’s agriculture sector will persist in the future, argues Olga Kikou. […]
Sebastian Lakner finds fault with the recent COPA contribution to our #AfterCAP debate in terms of market policies, red tape and public goods. He presents his suggestions. […]
Tom Lancaster, Senior Agriculture Policy Officer at the UK’s Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) assesses the uncertain terrain of the UK, farm subsidies and public goods post Brexit. In doing so, some interesting considerations emerge for the EU too. […]
Following Jean Claude Junker’s announcement of a CAP Communication by the end of 2017 Copa & Cogeca Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen outlines his vision on where next for CAP. Part of our #AfterCAP debate series. […]
Agricultural and Rural Convention