CAP REFORM WELCOMED BY ORGANIC MOVEMENT

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CAP REFORM WELCOMED BY ORGANIC MOVEMENT

Before I start with this, have a look here when you get a chance. it's my most recent contribution to Glenisk's newsletter. this time its on pesticides...and Halloween.

The Organic Farming community has broadly welcomed the announcements on CAP Reform presented by the EU Commission.

The proposal suggests that organic farmers will automatically be eligible for the direct payments for the Greening aspects of CAP without without having to fulfill additional requirements.

Grace Maher, Development Officer with IOFGA, the Irish Farmers and Growers Association:

“For the first time organic farmers are being recognised for their contribution to environmentally sustainable food production initially by the fact that they will be granted automatic access to the greening aspect of CAP.”

The Soil Association, the UK's largest organic certification body, were also happy with this aspect of the announcement : “We strongly support the compulsory 30% allocation of Pillar 1 payments to benefit the climate and the environment. We welcome the decision that certified organic farmers will be automatically eligible for this payment, without additional requirements, because, in the Commission's words "they are shown to provide clear ecological benefit".”

While the conventional farming lobby has expressed exacerbation at this 30% allocation in Pillar One, environmental groups claim that 30% does not go far enough:

World Wildlife Fund leader on the CAP reform Matthias Meissner said: “Agriculture is the biggest driver of biodiversity loss and water pollution in Europe. The current proposal should link not just 30 per cent but a total 100 per cent of direct payments to greening measures.”

I spoke to Roger Waite of the EU Commission about how the announcement might impact upon organic farmers.

“The possibility for Member States to introduce support to areas with specific natural constraints in the 1st Pillar should benefit organic farms in particular as they are more likely to be located in disadvantaged rural areas.”

He also suggested that the “move towards a flat-rate per hectare throughout the EU-27 will tend to help more extensive rather than intensive production... higher level of permanent grassland in the organic sector (47.1% compared to 30.3% for conventional agriculture) shows that more extensive production systems are usually employed in this type of production.”

There is also a demographic element: “Young farmers can benefit from specific support during the first five years after setting up their farming business. This should benefit organic farming more where the share of young farmers is higher than average.”

In Ireland, the average age of organic farmers is six years lower than conventional farmers.

Under Rural Development, having organic farming as a separate, specific measure was also broadly welcomed by the Organic sector.

According to IOFGA, however, this will only be worthwhile if Ireland ensures “that appropriate structures are put in place to encourage farmers to look seriously at the organic option as a sustainable option both economically and environmentally. As more farmers turn to organic farming in Europe we need to ensure that this is also the case in Ireland so that the demand for organic food in Ireland is met by production levels here.”

Roger Waite of the EU Commission also pointed out that “The reform recommends that Member States put at least 25% of RD funds on agri-environment and climate, Less Favoured Area and organic.”

He continued: “Other Rural Development measures, whilst not specific to organic farming, will be of interest, for instance support for training and exchange schemes through the Knowledge Transfer measure and support for Investment in Physical Assets, which offers higher support rates for young farmers and for investments in areas facing natural constraints.”

How these direct and indirect supports will work out economically is yet unknown.

It has been suggested that a 30 percent increase for greening would be count as E81 per hectare. However it is still unclear whether this will bring people up to E270 or whether it is additional to the E270.

The stand alone scheme, it has been suggested, would be in line with agri-environmental schemes so that's an average E6000 per person.

All told, this is just a staging post on a long drawn out discussion. But promising nonetheless for the organic movement.

That's our discussion regarding CAP REFORM WELCOMED BY ORGANIC MOVEMENT

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