La Common Agricultural Policy It is one of the essential elements of the political system of the European Union. It is in charge of managing the subsidies that are granted to the farmers and ranchers of the. The problem is that the latter are not happy with some of their decisions. Do you want to know why and what are the demands on CAP What do the producers ask for? Keep reading.
What is the CAP?
The common agricultural policy is defined as a set of policies and actions with which the member countries of the European Union they count within the scope of agriculture and livestock.
Through the measures that make up the CAP, a system of subsidies to the rural sector on the continent in the process of improving its exploitation. The sense of the creation of these policies arises from the need to face various problems in the sector.
En Europe There is a notable importance of the agricultural sector in its production as a whole, so it is directly related to the well-being of its inhabitants. The dilemma comes when the inhabitants and the organic producers themselves express their dissatisfaction with the CAP.
The requirements to the CAP of organic producers
Each reform that the CAP decides to make changes the plans of many producers. This causes some little ones to constantly struggle to survive. Since the policy is focused on benefiting more the intensive agriculture.
Now a new agricultural policy has been agreed in the European Union (EU) and its application in Spain is in full negotiation. For this reason, producers are struggling to have a series of aid as opposed to other models of farming.
For example, they insist that only in organic production It takes three years to allow time to develop a farm, with its corresponding investment and training, which poses great difficulties for those who wish to incorporate these practices.
For this reason, they miss more support for advice and research that allow to give organic production the technical orientation that is needed to use its own tools compared to other intensive models.
The Coalition for another CAP
The so-called Coalition For another CAP encompasses nothing more and nothing less than 40 organizations. Among them are the Mensa Cívica Association, the Platform for Extensive Livestock and Pastoralism, the Sustainable Asturias Forum, WWF Spain or Ecologists in Action.
It arises to criticize the future CAP for the period 2023-2027, since it considers that it offers tools of limited scope to support agroecology, extensive livestock farming and practices that pursue the objectives of the European Green Deal.
What are they trying to achieve?
It also aims for good governance with citizenship, including environmental and public health interests; that there is coherence with other policies y tools to sustainable food systems; that there is an enhancement of public goods that provides the sustainable production and that a renta and some conditions fair socio-labor.
An example of a complicated situation is the so-called community strategy From farm to table. This marks that, in 2030, at least 25% of the European agricultural area is biological. Which is difficult without making large investments.
Currently in Spain, first European country in organic extension and production, 10% of the agricultural area is already organic, with 2,4 million hectares, after increasing by 3,5% annually in 2020, according to official data.
But it is calculated that, to reach 25% of ecological surface, Spain should increase the funds from 75 million euros per year to an amount of between 450 and 1.100 million per year, both to facilitate the conversion of conventional productions and to support the maintenance of the ecological model compared to other models.
