This weekend, people across Europe will be grabbing pots, pans and wooden spoons to loudly demand radical reform of agricultural policies.
As part of the ‘European Days of Action for Good Food Good Farming’, thousands of people are expected to take part in events in 20 countries to call for a sustainable food system that supports farmers to protect and enhance our climate, nature, soil, water and air.
The ‘action days’ follow a major march in Berlin last January when over 30,000 people marched for better food and farming. People are expected to once again bring this pan-European call for sustainable farming to the iconic Brandenburg Gate this Saturday.
Bérénice Dupeux, Policy Officer for Agriculture at the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), said:
“Public money should be used to keep food production at safe levels that our planet can handle, so that future generations of farmers can produce the safe and healthy food we need.
Given the role intensive agriculture plays in habitat destruction and species loss, it is scandalous that huge amounts of taxpayers’ money is used to subsidise the most environmentally-harmful parts of our agriculture system.
EU governments should take heed of the huge numbers of people calling for better food and farming this weekend.”
This weekend’s events come as EU governments gear up for the next reform of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy.
In June the Commission published its proposal for CAP reform which many NGOs warn sets the stage for a race to the bottom on environmental farm standards as countries would have little incentive to link farm payments to environmental protection as this would put their farmers in at a negative competitive advantage in Europe.
On 19 November, EU agriculture ministers will meet in Brussels to discuss CAP reform. Good Food Good Farming campaigners will present ministers with a petition calling on them to support sustainable agriculture that is fair and healthy for producers, consumers and the environment, and humane to animals. Over 7000 people have signed the petition so far.
Find out more about Good Food Good Farming events near you.
