IFOAM Organics Europe criticises the Council’s partial general approach on the CAP post 2027 which represents an important step backwards for the organic sector, and the overall resilience and competitiveness of the EU agri-food sector. This position leaves it up to each Member State to establish and finance conversion and maintenance payments for organic, making this support more unpredictable and potentially increasingly uneven across the EU.
According to Dóra Drexler, President of IFOAM Organics Europe: “At a time when Europe is asking its farmers to become more resilient and competitive, weakening support for a farming system that already delivers on these objectives is not acceptable. Yet the vote yesterday in the Council removes explicit mandatory support for organic farming from the future CAP. This undermines the predictability and stability for farmers across the EU who have invested into organic or were considering converting their farms. Without a clear direction at EU level, there is a risk of a race to the bottom among Member States, putting the future development of the organic sector at risk.”
Eduardo Cuoco, Director of IFOAM Organics Europe, said: “The EU needs to invest in the resilience and preparedness of its agricultural sector. This summer, when extreme heat put farmers across Europe under enormous pressure, organic farms showed greater resilience. That is exactly the kind of resilience the future CAP should be investing in. While many CAP decisions will be taken at national level, organic agriculture offers the EU a ready-made tool to strengthen resilience, competitiveness and strategic autonomy while delivering on environmental objectives. It is already regulated at EU level and backed by robust certification systems. This should be recognised through a clear commitment to support organic farming in the CAP at EU level”.
The European organic movement warns that the CAP should maintain a clear and common commitment to supporting organic farming in every Member State. IFOAM Organics Europe also calls for 30% of the CAP budget to be ring-fenced for agri-environmental and climate actions, including support for organic farming, as key investments in the resilience of the EU agricultural sector. It also calls for no backsliding in Member States’ financial commitments to organic farming.
IFOAM Organics Europe now calls on the European Parliament to support organic farmers’ efforts by maintaining a strong, mandatory commitment to organic in its position.
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