EU young farmers say new water plan lacks detail on investment
A new plan unveiled by the European Commission this week to protect water supplies in the EU lacks detail on investment and leaves young farmers in the bloc 'wondering about what is to come'.
That is according to CEJA, the EU-wide body that represents young farmers, and of which Ireland's young farmer organisation Macra is a member.
The commission said that its new European Water Resilience Strategy is aimed at restoring and protecting the water cycle, securing clean and affordable water, and creating as 'sustainable, resilient, smart and competitive water economy'.
The plan outlines several actions, including a number for agriculture.
These include: supporting the uptake of water reuse practices; maximising the use of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) strategic plans for water resilience through knowledge sharing and improved, independent farm advisory services; and continuing to incentivise farmers to improve the environmental performance of their holdings.
However, despite these actions, CEJA said that the commission 'does not clarify its intentions as to the potential revision' of its water legislation, 'leaving young farmers wondering about what is to come after 2027'.
The young farmer group said that agriculture is already one of the sectors directly exposed to changing climatic conditions and more frequent seasonal extremes, which have 'detrimental effects' on yields and the socio-economic situation of agri-businesses.
Katharina Schobersberger, one of CEJA's vice-presidents, said: 'For agriculture, access to water is an absolute necessity, as food and feed production, as well as the well-being of animals, comes and falls with it. As young farmers, we severely struggle with the negative impacts of climate change on the resilience of our businesses.'
Another vice-president, Matteo Pagliarani, said: 'Ensuring that young farmers are equipped with the right tools and opportunities to adapt their on-farm water management is crucial for the future of our entire sector.'
According to CEJA, young farmers need higher investment support for on-farm water management for infrastructure, such as water retention basins, rainwater storage, drip irrigation, and desalination plants, as well as increased cooperation with other sectors to use 'repurposed' water.
The farm organisation said that, in some member states, on-farm investment not only faces high financial costs but also considerable legal and administrative barriers, leaving young farmers 'empty-handed' when it comes to dealing with extreme weather events.
For that reason, CEJA welcomed the creation of a dedicated water programme by the European Investment Bank, which aims to provide enhanced investment into more efficient water management in the private sector.
However, the eligibility requirements to access that funding are unclear at this time, which CEJA said poses 'serious questions' as to the actual amount of support farmers will be able to get.
The farm organisation said that the European Commission has responsibility to provide 'the right tools and instruments in the agriculture sector to enable adequate adaptation of farming practices to the new climatic and environmental realities.'
CEJA also said it 'regrets' that the commission does not 'explicitly state the direction of European water legislation in the upcoming years, hampering potential investments in on-farm water and nutrient management'.
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