European agricultural policies will have to change. That is the main message of the “LivingLand”-initiative that came to a close on May 2. Throughout the initiative, a public consultation on future common agricultural policies (CAP) in the EU, lay-citizens, farmers, and companies alike were asked to voice their opinions and suggestions in order to transform today’s agriculture into a more sustainable industry for tomorrow. 258,708 citizens and 600 civil society organisations and businesses participated and called on EU politicians to reform agriculture policies. That is a resounding success for the initiative and highlights the need for change.

Sustainable agriculture will have to be fair and healthy for everyone

“LivingLand” was originally initiated by an alliance of agricultural and environmental protection agencies (e.g. BirdLife Europe or the European office of the WWF), as well as developmental and animal rights policy groupings. Their goal was to highlight the consequences of intensive farming practices on the environment, and to advertise a pan-European remodelling of agricultural policies.

The organizers explain on their website that intensive farming significantly reduces biodiversity, and negatively affects the climate as well as the original flora and fauna of the farmed regions – and argue that the time to change agricultural policies is now. The  authors also maintain that the future sustainable agriculture will have to be healthy and fair for everyone involved, including farmers, animals, and consumers.

The European Commission will present the results in July

Appreciating the large number of participants during the public consultation Jabier Ruiz, Senior Policy Officer on Agriculture and Sustainable Food Systems at the WWF European Policy Office, said: “Europeans care about farming, food and nature and they do not want their food to be produced at the cost of nature. We will see whether the European Commission is at the level of its mandate delivering a new policy that supports a truly sustainable food and farming system for the future.”

The European Commission is expected to present the results of the public consultation publicly in a Conference in Brussels on 7 July and to publish a communication on the future of the CAP before the end of 2017. The new EU Common Agricultural Policy should be implemented in all Member States by 2021.

jmr