The Parliament's latest policy report explores the future of agriculture in Europe.
From farmer protests to reforms of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), agriculture always finds its way to the forefront of European politics. As one of Europe’s largest and most renowned industries, it plays a vital role in the daily lives of Europeans – but it also faces significant challenges.
Impending environmental targets, shifting climate conditions and neglected infrastructure mean the sector must contend with a unique set of struggles. Can such a strategically important sector modernise and continue to feed Europe?
For this policy report, agriculture journalist Natasha Foote investigates the latest CAP reform to see if it is fit to guide the EU through the impending climate crisis, while I explore the state of Europe’s digital divide and how poor infrastructure and connectivity are hampering farmers’ efforts to embrace innovation, particularly in the crop sector.
In the opinion section, MEPs Saskia Bricmont and Jörgen Warborn debate the EU’s deal with the Mercosur region and its potential impacts on European agriculture and consumers, while MEP Eric Sargiacomo makes the case for stronger protection of Europe’s wine and spirits sector, which has become the unlucky casualty of Donald Trump’s tariff tirades.
To achieve real and lasting change in Europe’s farming sector, policymakers must begin to sow the seeds of change.
- Matt Lynes is Opinion & Policy Report Editor of The Parliament