MEP Annie Schreijer-Pierik of the CDA and several MEPs from other countries demand a full impact assessment of the 'Farm to Fork' strategy. MEPs fear that the implementation of this strategy could lead to a significant fall in food production and rise in food prices in the EU.
The MEPs want to see evidence from climate European Commissioner Frans Timmermans for his plans to make European agriculture more sustainable and for the further expansion of strictly protected natural areas.
Detailed USDA Report
At the beginning of this month, the US Department of Agriculture published an extensive research report in which the effects of the European 'Farm to Fork' strategy were calculated. This shows that the food chain can be turned upside down if the use of plant protection products (-50%), antibiotics (-50%) and fertilizer use (-20%) is cut in the European Union.
De study calculates with 3 different scenarios: introduction limited to the European Union, worldwide introduction and finally a scenario in between the other scenarios. The latter scenario is the most likely and will result in a decline in agricultural production, a rise in farm incomes, an extreme rise in food prices and a rapid increase in hunger in third world countries.
Although CDA MEP Annie Schreijer Pierik is positive about, among other things, the goal of halving the use of antibiotics, she emphasizes that precursors should not be punished. "Possible disruption of the market for organic products, the reduction of fertilizers and the withdrawal of 10% of agricultural land, (also part of the 'Farm to Fork' strategy -red) are causing concern and questions."
Carpenters under fire
Schrijer-Pierik argues that the European Commission continues to refuse democratically elected MEPs access to its own preliminary internal studies for these strategies. "As long as there are no well-founded and calculated revenue models for European agricultural family and family businesses and food chains, Timmermans' plans cannot be successful."
The Dutch climate commissioner is the major pacesetter of the 'Farm to Fork' strategy that is part of the Green Deal billion investment package, which can transform the European Union into the world's first climate neutral continent in 30 years.
His criticism of the decisions on the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) by the European Council of Agriculture Ministers this month, which he believes do not go far enough, caused a stir. There are also indications that the Polish agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski is placing much more emphasis on income security for the agricultural sector in the European Union instead of major changes for the benefit of nature and climate. EU Member States will probably be given a lot of freedom to chart their own course in spending the future CAP funds.
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