Latest news with #Copa-Cogeca
Euronews
4 days ago
- Business
- Euronews
Closing the gap: policy, tools and trust in farming's future
Europe's farmers are calling for change, not charity. A new Ipsos survey reveals a profession ready to evolve, given the right tools, support and political will. One year after widespread protests placed agriculture at the heart of Europe's political agenda, the mood has shifted. Farmers are no longer demanding attention—they're demanding results. The Farmers' Horizon 2025 survey, conducted by Ipsos across nine European countries and commissioned by CropLife Europe, identifies what farmers urgently need to achieve sustainable growth: smarter policy, fair access to innovation, and deeper collaboration across the sector. In our final article in the series, we outline how to get there, based on representative voices and expert insights. Farmers are not opposed to regulation. But many feel trapped in a system that makes it harder – not easier – to adopt sustainable practices. Heavy administrative burdens are cited as a major obstacle, with 57 per cent of surveyed farmers calling for simpler rules and clearer guidance. At the Farmers' Horizon survey launch event, Elli Tsiforou, Secretary General of Copa-Cogeca, summed it up: 'Overproduction of policies – some contradictory – makes it hard for farmers to implement them on the ground. We need to be more pragmatic.' Rather than create new frameworks, the focus now must be on improving what exists—streamlining audits, speeding up payments, and aligning national and EU-level regulations. Things that the new Commission seems to be trying to put into practice. What's feasible: Maintaining a dedicated, well-funded CAP – adjusted for inflation – is seen as a priority for stability in the sector. Farmers and their representatives seek clarity and security regarding the future CAP budget, especially as proposals for a 'single fund' merging CAP and Cohesion Policy are debated. Policy adjustments should also reflect market insights, such as those gathered by the EU Agri-Food Chain Observatory, where increased transparency in the food chain can help tackle unfair trading practices and secure fairer product prices for farmers. Digital farming tools – from satellite imaging to precision application software – are no longer experimental. However, adoption remains low: just 20–30 per cent of farmers use them, and two-thirds lack the financial resources to invest in the technology. Many small- and medium-scale farms in rural regions face barriers to technological adoption, lacking upfront investment as well as technical training and consistent internet access. To address this, financial incentives must go hand-in-hand with support for digital literacy and rural connectivity expansion. Jens Hartmann, Chair of CropLife Europe, pointed to a clear opportunity: 'It's our task to ensure that an end-to-end innovative toolbox is available.' What's feasible: Advisory services should be expanded to include digital training and peer-to-peer learning, helping farmers make informed decisions about which tools to adopt. Member States should invest in rural infrastructure and scale pilot projects, demonstrating how digital tools boost both productivity and sustainability. To avoid farmers feeling left trapped between climate pressures and practical limitations, there is an urgent call for authorities to ease the transition by ensuring access to affordable, effective tools – and sufficient time to implement any changes. One in three farmers across surveyed countries report difficulty accessing basic crop protection tools and many cited regulatory delays and added expense as obstacles to adopting new, environmentally friendly products like biopesticides, seeds and biological treatments. These findings tell us that crops are not sufficiently protected from pests and diseases. Currently the transitional burden is causing pessimism, but Théo Paquet, Senior Policy Officer for Agriculture at the European Environmental Bureau insists there is opportunity here. If authorities compensated more highly for green measures and good results, farmers would be incentivised to show sustainable ambition. In this way, farmer's can make money while serving the collective good. This helps to future-proof the sector and reestablish the profession as an attractive option for future generations. What's feasible: Fast-tracking low-risk crop protection products and subsidising green inputs would create a smoother path for adoption. Advisory schemes and basic income support can help guide farmers through this shift, helping them maintain yields while meeting sustainability targets. With 22 per cent of farmers planning to leave the sector within five years – and the average age of European farmers steadily rising – the future of farming rests increasingly on the young generation. 'Not a single farmer wants to give the farm to the next generation in a worse condition than they received it,' said Jens Hartmann, Chair of CropLife Europe. For younger people to choose farming, the profession must offer more than subsistence. It must offer tools, purpose and a path to profitability. To achieve this, it is more imperative than ever for policymakers, environmentalists and industry experts on the ground work together to unite theory and practice. This means involving farmers directly in policy design, expanding peer-to-peer learning networks and strengthening agri-cooperatives that ensure fairer value distribution. Innovative and collaborative models for sustainable farming already exist. In Ireland and Germany, they have proven effective in everything from manure management to shared smart farming technologies. With the right funding, support and access, these successes can be replicated across Europe. By focusing on real-world delivery and practical solutions, in collaboration with the farming community, European farming could emerge not only more resilient, but renewed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
EU ready to tax Russian fertilisers as early as July
EU lawmakers are set to greenlight tariffs on fertiliser imports from Russia on Thursday, despite European farmers' fears the move risks sending global prices soaring. Over a quarter of the 27-nation bloc's imports of nitrogen-based fertilisers come from Russia, with more entering from Moscow ally Belarus -- which the European Commission now seeks to bring to an end. Seeking to allay farmers' worries, Brussels says it will impose the duties from July and gradually increase them up to 2028 until they reach a level that would fully cut off the flow. Three years after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the EU must stop fuelling "the Russian war machine" and "limit the dependency of Europe's farmers to Russian fertilisers", said lawmaker Inese Vaidere, spearheading the push in the EU parliament to impose the tariffs. Barring any last-minute drama, the European Parliament is expected to approve the tariffs -- although some right-wing lawmakers had been calling for a one-year suspension. The move is not welcomed by farmers. With rising production costs, pan-European farmers' group Copa-Cogeca explained, using Russian fertilisers was "the most competitive in terms of price, due to well-established logistics" for supplying the EU. Brussels also intends for the levies to prevent the indirect export of Russian gas, which is used to produce fertilisers. The EU also wants to increase the bloc's own fertiliser production, and its moves are welcomed by the fertiliser industry in the bloc. "Time is running out. We've been basically calling for action at the EU level for three years," said Tiffanie Stephani of Norwegian fertiliser manufacturer Yara. But she admitted the farmers' concerns were "more than legitimate". - 'Punishing farmers' - The EU has its work cut out to reassure farmers, who are already angry about administrative burdens, squeezed revenues and what they see as unfair competition from less-regulated overseas rivals. The tariff could be "potentially devastating" for the agriculture sector, warned Copa-Cogeca, adding: "European farmers must not become collateral damage." A farmer in central Belgium, Amaury Poncelet, accused the EU of hurting the sector. After spreading nitrogen fertiliser on his field in Berloz -- which he buys from a dealer in Ghent without knowing where it comes from -- the grain and beet farmer said he "doesn't understand the European Union's idea of punishing its farmers". "We're losing money because of these European decisions that treat us like pawns who don't matter," he said. The EU has suggested that duties on imports from North Africa, Central Asia, the United States, Trinidad and Tobago, and Nigeria could be removed to alleviate pressure on prices, among other mitigating measures, should the duties lead to price shocks. Yara's Stephani pointed to estimates showing that, with tariffs on Russian imports, there would be an increase of fertiliser prices of five to 10 dollars per tonne "because of different logistic costs". Prices vary, but a tonne of nitrogen fertiliser is currently worth around $400. adc/raz/ec/rmb
Int'l Business Times
22-05-2025
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
EU Ready To Tax Russian Fertilisers As Early As July
EU lawmakers are set to greenlight tariffs on fertiliser imports from Russia on Thursday, despite European farmers' fears the move risks sending global prices soaring. Over a quarter of the 27-nation bloc's imports of nitrogen-based fertilisers come from Russia, with more entering from Moscow ally Belarus -- which the European Commission now seeks to bring to an end. Seeking to allay farmers' worries, Brussels says it will impose the duties from July and gradually increase them up to 2028 until they reach a level that would fully cut off the flow. Three years after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the EU must stop fuelling "the Russian war machine" and "limit the dependency of Europe's farmers to Russian fertilisers", said lawmaker Inese Vaidere, spearheading the push in the EU parliament to impose the tariffs. Barring any last-minute drama, the European Parliament is expected to approve the tariffs -- although some right-wing lawmakers had been calling for a one-year suspension. The move is not welcomed by farmers. With rising production costs, pan-European farmers' group Copa-Cogeca explained, using Russian fertilisers was "the most competitive in terms of price, due to well-established logistics" for supplying the EU. Brussels also intends for the levies to prevent the indirect export of Russian gas, which is used to produce fertilisers. The EU also wants to increase the bloc's own fertiliser production, and its moves are welcomed by the fertiliser industry in the bloc. "Time is running out. We've been basically calling for action at the EU level for three years," said Tiffanie Stephani of Norwegian fertiliser manufacturer Yara. But she admitted the farmers' concerns were "more than legitimate". The EU has its work cut out to reassure farmers, who are already angry about administrative burdens, squeezed revenues and what they see as unfair competition from less-regulated overseas rivals. The tariff could be "potentially devastating" for the agriculture sector, warned Copa-Cogeca, adding: "European farmers must not become collateral damage." A farmer in central Belgium, Amaury Poncelet, accused the EU of hurting the sector. After spreading nitrogen fertiliser on his field in Berloz -- which he buys from a dealer in Ghent without knowing where it comes from -- the grain and beet farmer said he "doesn't understand the European Union's idea of punishing its farmers". "We're losing money because of these European decisions that treat us like pawns who don't matter," he said. The EU has suggested that duties on imports from North Africa, Central Asia, the United States, Trinidad and Tobago, and Nigeria could be removed to alleviate pressure on prices, among other mitigating measures, should the duties lead to price shocks. Yara's Stephani pointed to estimates showing that, with tariffs on Russian imports, there would be an increase of fertiliser prices of five to 10 dollars per tonne "because of different logistic costs". Prices vary, but a tonne of nitrogen fertiliser is currently worth around $400.
France 24
22-05-2025
- Business
- France 24
EU ready to tax Russian fertilisers as early as July
Over a quarter of the 27-nation bloc's imports of nitrogen-based fertilisers come from Russia, with more entering from Moscow ally Belarus -- which the European Commission now seeks to bring to an end. Seeking to allay farmers' worries, Brussels says it will impose the duties from July and gradually increase them up to 2028 until they reach a level that would fully cut off the flow. Three years after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the EU must stop fuelling "the Russian war machine" and "limit the dependency of Europe's farmers to Russian fertilisers", said lawmaker Inese Vaidere, spearheading the push in the EU parliament to impose the tariffs. Barring any last-minute drama, the European Parliament is expected to approve the tariffs -- although some right-wing lawmakers had been calling for a one-year suspension. The move is not welcomed by farmers. With rising production costs, pan-European farmers' group Copa-Cogeca explained, using Russian fertilisers was "the most competitive in terms of price, due to well-established logistics" for supplying the EU. Brussels also intends for the levies to prevent the indirect export of Russian gas, which is used to produce fertilisers. The EU also wants to increase the bloc's own fertiliser production, and its moves are welcomed by the fertiliser industry in the bloc. "Time is running out. We've been basically calling for action at the EU level for three years," said Tiffanie Stephani of Norwegian fertiliser manufacturer Yara. But she admitted the farmers' concerns were "more than legitimate". 'Punishing farmers' The EU has its work cut out to reassure farmers, who are already angry about administrative burdens, squeezed revenues and what they see as unfair competition from less-regulated overseas rivals. The tariff could be "potentially devastating" for the agriculture sector, warned Copa-Cogeca, adding: "European farmers must not become collateral damage." A farmer in central Belgium, Amaury Poncelet, accused the EU of hurting the sector. After spreading nitrogen fertiliser on his field in Berloz -- which he buys from a dealer in Ghent without knowing where it comes from -- the grain and beet farmer said he "doesn't understand the European Union's idea of punishing its farmers". "We're losing money because of these European decisions that treat us like pawns who don't matter," he said. The EU has suggested that duties on imports from North Africa, Central Asia, the United States, Trinidad and Tobago, and Nigeria could be removed to alleviate pressure on prices, among other mitigating measures, should the duties lead to price shocks. Yara's Stephani pointed to estimates showing that, with tariffs on Russian imports, there would be an increase of fertiliser prices of five to 10 dollars per tonne "because of different logistic costs".
Irish Examiner
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Dismantling agriculture policy will undermine food security, warn EU farmers
There is no security without food security and no strategic autonomy without food autonomy. That's what the leaders of Copa-Cogeca, the umbrella body for European farmers and co-ops, told EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen in an open letter. They warned that proposals to dismantle the common agriculture policy's (Cap) two-pillar structure in the upcoming multi-annual financial framework would be an historic misstep. Undermining the architecture of the EU's first common agriculture policy will inevitably weaken Europe's security, the letter stated. The leaders noted that Ms von der Leyen had rightly emphasised: "We are entering a new era of rearmament in which Europe must assume greater responsibility for its own security." A subsequent two-day meeting in Brussels of over 100 EU farming and co-op leaders also claimed that merging agricultural funding into a single fund would effectively eliminate the policy's two financial pillars. With geopolitical instability affecting international trade, economic challenges, and growing regulatory burdens in the internal market, they warned that the sector was facing a perfect storm. They also claimed that dismantling the policy's two-pillar structure, in favour of a national programming model for each member state, would erode the shared foundation of EU agricultural policy and add yet another layer of unpredictability. 'Jeopardise production' 'This would not only further fragment the single market but also jeopardise the union's food production capacity, food security, as well as the vitality of its rural areas,' the leaders added. Copa president Massimiliano Giansanti said the agricultural ambition of the European Commission must be judged by its actions. And the first of these, if we are to remain consistent with the political commitments made, must be to safeguard the Cap budget, adjusted to reflect inflation 'The coherence of the agricultural vision and the ability to deliver real impact for farmers in the field hinges on this step," he said. 'In the face of today's uncertainties, there is no security without food security. We have formally requested a meeting with president Ursula von der Leyen, which we hope will take place swiftly,' he said. Cogeca president Lennart Nilsson stressed that agri-co-operatives need stability, predictability, trust, and legal certainty. "The multiple transitions required of European agriculture can — and will — only be achieved if they are properly financed," he said. 'Investing in agriculture is not merely financial support; it is a strategic investment in Europe's cornerstone sector, one that underpins the entire EU security architecture." Cop-Cogeca added that the EU budget is not just a financial issue — it is the central political question at the start of this new mandate. 'This is why the matter is of the highest concern for the farming community, and why mobilisation will be organised in the coming weeks,' it added. Read More Producers confident despite processors' third consecutive week of cuts
