Copa-Cogeca is proposing measures to promote green growth that it says are the only way to ensure there will also be enough food to feed the world's growing population at affordable prices.
Responding to the EU Commission's post-2013 proposals for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the farmers and cooperatives organisation said: 'It does not make sense to require every single farm to stop producing on a certain percentage of their land when world food demand is set to rise by 70 per cent by 2050 and production is threatened by more extremes of drought, flooding and storms.'
Copa president Gerd Sonnleitner told a press conference in Brussels: 'Currently, many young farmers are not willing to take over from the farm and older farmers are leaving the sector in view of the drastic economic situation. This is not sustainable or acceptable.'
Sonnleitner believed the commission's latest proposals would 'just add more costly burdens onto EU farmers,' rather than improve economic performance.
He did, however, note that 'a very positive element in the commission’s proposal is the introduction of European Innovation Partnerships to help improve links between researchers, farmers and advisors'.
Cogeca president Paolo Bruni said: 'It is vital to reinforce producer organisations' position in the food chain to meet the increasing world food demand. It is also paramount that EU competition rules are adjusted to help producer organisations, such as cooperatives, to grow in size and scale.'
