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Von der Leyen starts future dialogue on agriculture
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will kick off a "strategic dialogue" on Thursday on the future of agriculture in the European Union. In addition to agricultural organizations, NGOs, consumer organizations and science have also been invited.
The committee chairman wants to put four key questions on the table and see them answered. These are: how can we give our farmers and rural communities a better perspective, as well as a 'fair' standard of living?; how can we support agriculture within the limits of our planet and ecosystem?; how can we make better use of the immense possibilities that science and technological innovation offer us?; and how can we ensure a good future for the European food system in a competitive global environment?
The strategic dialogue is chaired by Peter Strohschneider from the University of Stuttgart. He is an expert on the Middle Ages, but has previously chaired a committee for the future of agriculture (Zukunfskommission Landwirtschaft, ZKL) in Germany. This was already under Angela Merkel, but the current German Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir has asked him to continue this work.
Von der Leyen reportedly wants to draw conclusions before the summer, but the first informal reaction among agricultural organizations is that they do not want to be drawn to a quick conclusion. The European Milk Board is using the day before the official start of the dialogue to once again highlight its positions in Brussels.
Striking
There are also two striking comments to be made at the start of the dialogue. Wageningen UR is the only scientific party allowed to participate. European Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski does not appear to have a role in the process. The dialogue is chefsache.
Klaas van der Horst
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