In terms of EU agriculture, the policy focused on sustainability and programs to reduce polluting emissions must not be abandoned. This is supported by 17 Italian associations (environmentalists, consumers and organic producers), replying to those who support the need to suspend the rules of the post-2022 agricultural policy.
The appeal to protect EU agriculture
“Weaken EU Strategies Farm to Fork and Biodiversity 2030 of the European Union and revising the environmental rules of the new CAP would be a serious mistake and would not solve the problems associated with the increase in the prices and availability of raw materials, problems further aggravated by the war in Ukraine which is putting the European and national agri-food companies”. This is the appeal to the government - in particular to ministers Patuanelli and Cingolani - signed by organizations at the forefront of the green transition, including the Acu Consumers Association, the Italian Biodynamic Association, the Terra Association, FederBio, Greenpeace Italy, Isde Doctors for the Environment, Legambiente, Lipu-BirdLife, Slow Food Italy and Wwf Italy.
Patuanelli had said that we need to postpone the entry into force of the measures introduced by the CAP (because they limit production) and increase the percentage of coupled payments for more strategic productions. The basic thesis is that EU agriculture does not guarantee self-sufficiency on some productions, above all because the war is changing many scenarios.
Rising prices
In order to guarantee supplies and not have long-term repercussions on prices, a request for a suspension of the CAP is also making headway in the Regions. Food security in Europe and in Italy is defended by focusing on the ecological transition of agriculture, not by weakening regulations obtained with difficulty and very long negotiations between the 27 governments, say the Associations instead.
At the extraordinary G7 on agriculture, Italy had expressed concern about the conflict for both availability that for the uncontrolled increase in prices. Heavy effects especially for the lack of supply of cereals need oil seeds, of which Ukraine is a major exporter. The decline in exports also concerns fertilizers and fuels, but by Russia as a result of sanctions.
The war has stripped structural problems in agricultural production of our house, compensated for years by high levels of imports. The aims of European agricultural policy in relation to the objectives of the Green Deal would be too tight a grip, but everything will be done to avoid being crushed. The associations, in fact, insist. Agri-food security in Europe also depends on the reduction in the number of animals raised, which "would make it possible to free up land for food crops, capable of better satisfying diversified diets with low impact on the climate", the Associations write again.
The numbers of the two countries at war they clarify the background against which the controversy is taking place. Russia and Ukraine together hold 30% of the world's grain trade and 19% of corn for livestock farming. For the oil of sunflower – the basis of dozens of large-scale food products – Ukraine controls 80% of the global market and Italian industry has already run for cover.
