EU/RURAL DEVELOPMENT - For Some, the Secondary Pillar Has the Second Priority Article The Common Agricultural Policy has two “pillars”, or pots of money to draw from. Pillar I, which consists largely of direct payments to farmers according to the area they manage, has come in for a lot of criticism. Pillar II, which supports rural development policy, is seen as more useful. But as the agriculture budget shrinks, it is Pillar II that faces the bigger cuts. By Helene Schulze , Oliver Moore and Hans Martin Lorenzen
EU/DIRECT PAYMENTS - Tied to the Land Article Three-quarters of the Common Agricultural Policy budget goes into direct payments for farmers – almost regardless of what they do. Most of the money benefits just a few large producers and fails to deliver on the social and environmental challenges rural areas face. By Alan Matthews
EU/BIODIVERSITY - Intensification vs Conservation Article People often say that there are fewer birds and insects now than there used to be. That is true, and intensive agriculture is largely to blame. Despite some lip service paid to the necessity of nature conservation, the overwhelming weight of European agricultural policy is to promote yet more intensification. By Harriet Bradley
EU/INTRODUCTION - Hitting Targets, Missing Goals Introduction The Common Agricultural Policy is one of the EU’s oldest policies. Despite its extensive funds and regular reforms every seven years, it is poorly attuned to the needs of Europe’s hugely diverse farm sector. Goals to minimize and adapt to climate change, protect the environment and promote rural development are poorly served. By Dr. Christine Chemnitz and Christian Rehmer
SPAIN/WATER - Mainly in the Plain Article Farming around the Mediterranean has become more and more dependent on irrigation, without any realistic consideration of the limited water available. Spain is no exception. The disappearance of many traditional irrigation systems has led to the loss of their valuable agroecosystems. By Por Otra PAC