Copa and Cogeca highlight importance of agriculture for sustainability
In a high-level meeting with the Estonian Presidency in Luxembourg, Copa and Cogeca Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen said “It is due to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) that most of the SDGs have been achieved in the EU. For instance, ending poverty (SDG 1), ending hunger & achieving food security (SDG 2), ensuring healthy lives (SDG 3), sustainably managing water (SDG 6), ensuring sustainable energy (SDG 7), providing employment (SDG 8) sustainable production (SDG 12), combatting against climate change (SDG 13) and protecting the environment (SDG 15) have mostly been achieved thanks to the CAP”.
“From an environmental point of view, the CAP incorporates measures that significantly contribute to achieving the SDGs linked to water, soil, biodiversity, ecosystems and climate. For instance, the Statutory Management Requirements (SMRs) and the Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions (GAECs) under the CAP are the baseline for farmers to receive support from the CAP. Also the agri-environment-climate measures under the second pillar of the CAP are a major tool to deliver environmental aspects into this policy”, he insisted.
In view of these achievements, he called for a strong, competitive and more sustainable CAP in the future, with common rules and a good budget behind it. He also reiterated Copa and Cogeca’s strong opposition to the EU move to include beef and ethanol in its market access offer to the Latin American Trade Bloc Mercosur, saying that it would seriously undermine these achievements at the same time as jeopardising EU food safety standards since imports to the EU do not have to meet the EU’s high requirements.
The move came as the issue was being discussed by EU Farm Ministers in Luxembourg.
For more information:
Copa Cogeca
www.copa-cogeca.eu