The extensive advice comes on the eve of negotiations in Brussels about the new common agricultural policy for the period 2028 - 2035. The previously presented multiannual budget shows that the European Commission wants to save several hundred million euros on the current agricultural budget. There is strong resistance to this within the powerful agricultural lobby in Brussels.
The European agricultural and food system must undergo radical changes to meet the European climate goals. The EU's scientific advisors believe that production, consumption, and subsidies need to be structured differently. According to their analysis, the entire food system is responsible for about one third of the emissions in the European Union. These emissions arise not only on farms but also in other parts of the food chain.
Penalty and Reward
The advisors state that the current agricultural policy has so far insufficiently reduced CO2 emissions. Although Green Deal rules already exist regarding climate and biodiversity, their analysis shows that these have not led to a clear reduction in emissions. Recently, Denmark became the first EU country to implement a kind of penalty and reward system for agriculture.
Promotion
A key criticism concerns the current system of European agricultural subsidies. According to the analysis, some payments still encourage practices that are harmful to the climate. In addition to changes in agriculture itself, the advisors also look at food consumption. They state that Europeans on average eat too much red meat, which increases emissions of methane and other greenhouse gases.
Transition
At the same time, they emphasize that farmers need support in transitioning to other production methods. Financial support can, according to the advice, help work more sustainably and better adapt to drought and other climate consequences. There should be a reward for farmers who scale down their operations.
The recommendations are published at a time when the European Union is working on new policy choices regarding agriculture, climate, and the future budget. According to the advisors, these upcoming decisions offer an important opportunity to fundamentally reform the agricultural and food system.