Agroecology Europe organised on the 18th of November 2020 a virtual policy workshop to discuss “How to reconcile the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) with the EU Green Deal: possible solutions?”
On the 18th of November 2020, from 9:00 to 12:30 pm, Agroecology Europe hosted a webinar to discuss the possible solutions to reconcile the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) with the EU Green Deal.
This webinar replaced the policy workshop traditionally organised each Autumn.
The webinar took stock of the new EU Green Deal and assessed how the recently adopted CAP by the European Parliament could be improved to reflect the ambition of the Green Deal, the Farm to Fork Strategy and the Biodiversity Strategy.
This virtual policy workshop gathered experts from the field, academicians, economists, NGOs representatives as well as representatives from the European Commission and from the European Parliament.
Presentations on the CAP and the Green Deal, and their various impacts on the biodiversity, climate change, sustainable agricultural and food systems and the economy were given by the speakers with their own and very interesting perspectives.
After that, exchange sessions were organised to intend replying, together and in a dynamic way, to two key questions:
- Which eco-schemes of those suggested in the draft CAP are really in line with agroecology? Should we drop off those not in line or foresee gradual incentives based on eco-scheme adherence to the agroecological approach?
- Which concrete measures should be included in the CAP/other policy instruments to accompany the Green Deal goals of supporting short supply chains and achieving sustainable diets?
This event was very successful, exchanges were fruitful and concluded that the situation is not yet desperate nor irreversible. Solutions do exist.
Agroecology, as part of one of the 4 flagship eco-schemes defined by the new CAP (together with organic farming, carbon farming and precision farming) enables to regenerate soils by sequestering carbon, improving soil fertility and increasing microbial, floral and faunal diversity. The agroecological systems approach redesigns the agricultural system based on the principle that the role of external inputs can be replaced by ecological processes, while levels of production can be maintained. Even more, agroecological systems are often more profitable than conventional agriculture, as shown by a panel of European scientists.
The outcome of the event will feed ongoing discussions on the improvement of the eco-schemes and how to ensure a greener architecture within the CAP to ensure a truly sustainable agricultural and food systems.
Please click on the following link to watch again the virtual policy workshop.
Please find hereunder the direct access to the various presentations given:
- Agroecological diversification for truly sustainable agricultural and food
systems – Introduction by Paolo Bàrberi, Professor at SSSA and Board Member of Agroecology Europe - Prosperous Communities: From the CAP to the Green Deal – Introduction by Olivier Lefebvre, Permaproject
- Permanent grasslands: The blind spot of the EU Green Deal And why “menu à la carte” doesn’t work – Introduction by Xavier Poux, AScA and associate researcher at IDDRI
- Making the Common Agricultural Policy a lever for the agro-ecological transition – Introduction by Julien Fosse, Deputy Director of Sustainable and Digital department of France Stratégie
- Introduction by Olivier De Schutter, Co-Chair IPES-Food
- Common Agricultural Policy post 2020: A new Green Architecture – Introduction by Emmanuel Petel, Policy Coordinator at DG AGRI (D2), European Commission
For further information, please find here the Agroecology Europe position paper on the CAP were major measures have been identified and detailed to operate a shift in the European agricultural functioning.