For a complete reorientation of the CAP

Brussels, 23 Oct 2019

ECVC & Confédération Paysanne press release

Brussels, 23 October 2019 – More than 1000 people, both peasants and citizens, demonstrated together this Tuesday in Strasbourg to demand a fairer CAP that is no longer at the service of the agro-industry. The CAP concerns all of us, peasants and citizens alike. We must all be able to make choices on our food, and therefore, the direction that the agricultural model should take.

This “agro-parade” was organised by members of the European Coordination Via Campesina through the platform Pour une autre PAC and its German counterpart, as part of the Good Food Good farming mobilisation. The demonstration came to an end in front of the European Parliament, where our requirements for the next CAP were handed to MEPs and the future European Commission.

The CAP could be a formidable lever to change the system and finally respond to the challenges of peasant employment, food, land dynamics as well as environmental and climate issues.

The CAP of the past pushed European farmers to expand, and intensify their practices to meet export obligations and price wars, which has visible results today:

• An absurd plan used to dismiss the peasant world.
• Overproduction crises designed to drive prices down and fatten agro-business.
• A loss of purpose for farmers and a loss of legitimacy in the eyes of many citizens.
• Crises that push peasants to leave the profession, or worse, to commit suicide. In France, more than one farmer commits suicide every day.
• Increasingly industrialised production that no longer meets our food needs.

 “Farmer-bashing” will not resolve the concrete difficulties faced by the peasant world and won’t help to move things forward. This CAP is no longer legitimate; it must be changed, and soon!

Contacts

ECVC contact: +32 (0)2 217 311 – info@eurovia.org

Contacts Confédération paysanne:

• Nicolas Girod, National Spokesperson: 06 07 55 29 09
• Denis Perreau, National Secretary: 06 98 53 53 76 46
• Caroline Nugues, Communication Manager: 06 95 29 29 80 78

Photo credit: Confédération paysanne, action of 22 October 2019 in Starsbourg