Subsidies should incentivize farming that enhances nature, improves rural livelihoods, and minimizes social and economic costs, a new ProVeg policy brief states.
A new policy brief by food awareness organization, ProVeg International, is calling on EU policymakers to structure CAP subsidies to prioritize sustainable crop production and ensure that the EU’s agricultural practices nurture the environment they depend upon.
“Agriculture and the environment are deeply interconnected,” Josh Bisig, Senior Policy Research Manager at ProVeg and co-author of the “Future Fit Farming” policy brief, said.
“Deforestation, soil degradation, greenhouse gas emissions, and biodiversity loss weaken the natural systems that agriculture relies on, which can then require further intensification to keep production up, which compounds the harms.
“To break this vicious cycle, agricultural policies must prioritize sustainable farming practices, restore ecosystems, and build resilience for farmers, ensuring a future where agriculture and ecosystems thrive mutually.
“It is in the hands of EU policymakers to make that decision. They have the power to channel the massive EU budget for agriculture into climate- and environmentally-friendly food production and make farming fit for the future,” Bisig said.
“True-cost accounting”
As well as incentives for sustainable crop production, the policy brief, which has been informed by conversations with farming organizations across Europe and the UK, recommends “true-cost accounting” for food production.
This would redirect subsidies away from systems that contribute to environmental degradation and impact negatively on public health, and towards sustainable, organic, and regenerative farming methods.
“Farms are businesses, and they depend on, and influence, ecosystem services and land use,” Bisig said.
“Until subsidy frameworks sufficiently prioritize and incentivize sustainable crops and farming practices that work for farmers and rural communities, we are sawing off the branch we are sitting on,” Bisig notes.
Other recommendations
The brief also recommends the establishment of a dedicated grant fund for farmers to diversify their crops and shift toward more sustainable agricultural practices and products. Other recommendations include:
- Improved access to capital and funding to empower farmers to benefit from sustainable food production.
- Knowledge and infrastructure systems development that support farmers in diversifying toward more sustainable agricultural practices and products.
- Increasing demand for sustainable produce by encouraging minimum requirements for plant-based and organic foods in public food procurement policies and lower VAT rates on plant-based and organic products
- Farmer-friendly policies that build long-term support systems for farmers that are focused on autonomy and community engagement.
A copy of “Future Fit Farming: policy solutions for a diverse, resilient EU farming sector” can be found here.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
For media inquiries, email Peter Rixon at [email protected].
For scientific data about the benefits of plant-based eating, see our Food System Data website.
About ProVeg International
Our vision is a world where everyone chooses delicious and healthy food that is good for all humans, animals, and our planet. ProVeg International is a food awareness organization with the mission to replace 50% of animal products globally with plant-based and cultivated foods by 2040.
