Our identity is shaped by the agriculture and cuisine of Europe.

As the EU establishes its financial structures in the upcoming years, MEP Maria Walsh writes that everyone must prioritize ensuring farmers are assisted and guided through a transformation that benefits both people and the environment.
The core of the European project is agriculture and food production. Since the inception of the Common Agricultural Policy, it has been recognized that the EU has an obligation to prevent food shortages for its citizens, similar to those that afflicted the entire continent long after World War II ended.

The notion that farmers ought to be assisted in their line of work was also implied in that.

This responsibility is especially important to me as an MEP representing the predominantly rural Midlands-North West area in Ireland. I am also acutely aware of the sectoral problems the EU will face in the upcoming legislative session, having joined the European Parliament’s AGRI Committee this summer.

The Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) published a paper earlier this year emphasizing the pressing need to use agricultural practices to increase climate resilience. Perhaps too frequently, food production and climate action are portrayed as mutually exclusive.

However, as the IEEP noted, climate change is posing significant problems to the production of essential European crops. “The production of wheat, olives, and potatoes would reduce substantially in the European continent within a few decades, due to the effects of climate change on production, if we fail to implement adaptive measures,” according to a representative for IEEP.

That was prior to the summer, when olive oil prices sharply increased for customers around Europe. The price of sunflower oil and wheat skyrocketed just a few years following the invasion of Ukraine.

These factors highlight how urgent it is to have an agricultural system that ensures both steady and sustainable domestic output for Europeans and stable farmer incomes. This entails collaborating with farmers and hearing their perspectives on matters such as biodiversity,

Farmers understand the need of a sustainable climate.
Although producing food and resources is frequently farmers’ top goal, we also entrust them with environmental care. There is a myth that farming and climate and environmental action are inherently incompatible, despite the fact that farmers take this responsibility very seriously.

However, my experience as a public representative does not align with this. I have never encountered a farmer who was not acutely aware of the necessity of a sustainable climate and environment, despite populist rhetoric.

Research has indicated that small farmers enhance biodiversity and provide greater yields. Additionally, I am seeing more and more farmers trying to adapt their methods to the new reality and develop sustainable, nutrient-rich food production techniques like regenerative farming.

Among their stated goals are the following: “regenerate soils and increase biodiversity within our local environment,” “stand up as young farmers and take responsibility for the direction farming goes in the future,” and “behave with integrity, be patient, and work within the current rules set out by the EU.” These farmers include Seán Gilligan and Rob Kennedy of Knockarea farm in County Sligo, Ireland.

I see this as both an opportunity and a challenge: is not it crucial that the EU strikes a balance between patience and integrity in order to build the best future for our farmers and the planet?

The future of every EU citizen will depend on how we handle these issues.

All of this is complicated, but it is crucial to note that Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, has made commendable public pledges to the goals outlined in the European Green Deal, which is portrayed as being at the heart of her Commission’s narrative.

Long-term planning for our food security and the climate in which it is cultivated must continue to be a key concern for all decision-makers during this period of significant geopolitical difficulties.

Guidelines for the future have been made available by the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture.

The Dialogue recommends CAP reform that boosts enabling conditions for rural areas, encourages positive environmental, social, and animal welfare outcomes, and offers socioeconomic help to farmers who need it most. Additionally, it envisions a Nature Restoration Fund and a Temporary Just Transition Fund that offer financial assistance outside of CAP as well as public-private collaboration to assist farms in establishing sustainable practices.

It is necessary, but none of this is easy. We all recognize the necessity, but maintaining the resolve to act is crucial in politics as always. In the upcoming years, that will be my responsibility on the AGRI Committee.

Of course, saving the world is not just the responsibility of farmers. To cut emissions and restore biodiversity, many other industries will need to drastically change their behavior, and the EU should try to help them as well.

However, our identity is practically shaped by our farms and food. As the EU establishes its financial structures in the upcoming years, everyone must prioritize ensuring they are assisted and guided through a transition that benefits both people and the environment.

One member of the European Parliament (MEP) is Maria Walsh (EPP/Ireland).