In its fight against climate change and environmental degradation, the European Commission (EC) is promoting the so-called European Green Deal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 and achieve climate neutrality by 2050.

In line with these objectives, the EC has launched the “Farm to Fork” strategy; in the food field, which proposes expanding the European agricultural area dedicated to organic farming to 25% and reducing the use of fertilizers by 20% and that of phytosanitary products and antibiotics by 50% by 2030.

The position of the agrarian organizations

The director of International Relations of the agrarian organization Asaja, Ignacio López, tells Efeagro that we have to wait to see if the Commission's plans are finally translated into binding measures, in which case they will have a "not very flattering" impact.

He predicts that production costs will increase, as well as the prices that consumers will have to pay, and the dependence on imports from outside the EU will increase.

The new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the period 2023-2027 incorporates greater environmental requirements, issues to which Spain will devote up to 43% of spending.

In this reform, López stresses that digitization will play a "fundamental" role, along with new technologies. such as drones, sensors and other precision agriculture tools to rationalize the use of natural resources.

To achieve this, it advocates allocating investments and legislating based on scientific evidence, using "reciprocity and coherence in commercial relations"; in order to compete in international markets.

The member of the COAG Executive Andoni García considers that many changes must be made to achieve the objectives of the Commission, for which he calls for financial support and a new pricing policy that allows production costs to be reflected and prevents them from being outsourced.

Regarding the increase in the ecological surface, he maintains that they have to put media and campaigns with the purpose of promoting the consumption of these products among the population.

"As the CAP has been designed, the market instruments are insufficient and the farmer who lives from agricultural activity will not be prioritized"; in the distribution of aid, points out García.

The person in charge of COAG expresses the commitment of the producers with the environment and asks to support their transition towards more sustainable models with laws such as that of the food chain, which prevents selling in Spain below the cost of production.

On behalf of UPA, its Secretary for International Relations, José Manuel Roche, defends sustainability in its broadest sense, understood as a "balance"; between economic, social and environmental aspects.

"We are committed to the family farming model because it carries out a sustainable activity that must be supported," says Roche, in favor of strengthening the position of producers in the chain.

Call to establish a budget support apart from the CAP for farmers to adapt to the new community strategies and warns that a drastic reduction in phytosanitary products could pose a problem in their activity.

La unfair competition from third countries and the loss of competitiveness are other issues that concern UPA if the agri-food products that enter the internal market do not meet the same standards as the European ones.

Cooperatives seek profitability

The director of the Technical Services of Agro-food Cooperatives of Spain, Gabriel Trenzado, believes that there is a lack of indications on how to change the production model, finance the reforms and achieve results before 2030.

“Some big goals have been set that have to be achieved, but really we do not have the answer to which model we have to go, beyond the indications given to the sector in terms of reducing active substances or limiting production", he says.

Trenzado insists that "it will be difficult for the sector to change to a more demanding environmental model if there are not certain profitability guarantees“since it competes in an open market where it needs “economic policies to help it make the right decisions”.

Remember that farms and cooperatives "are businesses that have to be profitable"; and concludes: "There will be no green economy in red numbers."