Thousands of farmers demonstrate in Lisbon for a fairer CAP

On 14 June, members of the European Coordination Via Campesina from CNA (Portugal), COAG, EHNE Bizkaia, SLG, SOC-SAT (Spain) y La Confédération paysanne (France) are gathered in Lisbon to participate in a demonstration organised by CAN and supported by ECVC, to defend the interests and rights of small and medium-scale farming and voice their demands in the context of the informal meeting of the European Union Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers.

The thousands of small and medium-scale farmers – who make up the vast majority of farmers across the European Union (EU) – play a fundamental economic, social and territorial role by improving production, ensuring food quality and consumer health, protecting the environment and cooling of the planet.

However, small and medium-scale farming has been severely penalised by the CAP and by various national policy decisions in Member States, and this trend looks set to continue, with the course of the CAP negotiations suggesting more difficulties for peasant farming and more money for large-scale industry actors. Therefore, ECVC members, among thousands of farmers, are taking action and calling on EU Ministers to listen to their demands in the lead up to the trilogue negotiations at the end of June.

For ECVC, the CAP must:

– Ensure decent income for farmers, including by:

• Implementing market regulation measures
• Better distributing aid, through compulsory application of degressivity from €60,000 and capping at €100,000.
• Compulsory redistributive payments
• Compulsory application of the small farmers scheme.

– Promote sustainable, environmentally friendly agricultural production by:

• Relocating production, marketing and consumption by focusing on short sales circuits and boosting local markets.
• Recognising traditional production methods, biodiversity and the rights of farmers to use and exchange their seeds.
• Applying the same requirements to agricultural products imported from third countries, including the approval of Article 188bis, requiring imports to meet the same pesticide standards as EU farmers.

– Adopt social conditionality by:

• Applying social conditionality immediately for CAP aid recipients
• Retracting CAP subsidies in the event of serious infringements.

To read more about the demands of ECVC and its organisation members, read the joint declaration here. Small and medium-scale farmers will not remain silent! Follow the mobilisation on Twitter and Facebook.

On Thursday 17 June, 11-12 CET, we also invite the press to hear directly from these farmers why the CAP is not fit for purpose as it currently stands. More info here.