However, a significant increase in EU budgets is necessary, according to one of the recommendations from several dozen European agri-experts who prepared a report at the request of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Von der Leyen previously stated that she intends to present the 'outcome' of this Strategic Agricultural Dialogue to the new European Commission, which is expected to be formed in the coming months.
According to a press release from Brussels, 29 stakeholders from the “European agriculture and food sector, civil society, rural communities, and scientific circles” have been preparing the report since January, under the chairmanship of the German agricultural economist Peter Strohschneider. A few years ago, he was one of the scientists involved in Germany's Zukunftskommission (ZKL) of former minister Borchert.
The report emphasizes making food affordable, especially for households with lower incomes. In addition, it calls for a revision of current food labels to better inform consumers about the origin and quality of their food. These measures could lead to a fairer system for farmers, who are often forced to sell their products below cost price.
The report also calls for strengthening the position of farmers within the value chain (i.e., higher contract prices for their products). Moreover, the budgets for environmental and climate protection “should be substantially increased.”
At the same time, the report points out the necessity of reducing bureaucracy within the agricultural sector, a measure previously announced in the run-up to the European elections. This goes hand in hand with efforts to promote more nature-friendly farming methods. Both agricultural and environmental organizations acknowledge that a sustainable transformation is needed to preserve biodiversity while supporting agricultural productivity.
Furthermore, the EU must take greater account of the consequences for agriculture in negotiations on trade agreements, according to both the agri-experts and the environmental reporters.