Latest news with #Farmers'Horizon2025
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.
Euronews
28-05-2025
- Business
- Euronews
From protest to progress: the future of farming in Europe
Despite protests and political promises, Europe's farmers remain under pressure. But a more resilient, innovative agricultural future is still possible – if the right steps are taken. One year on from mass mobilisation across Europe, farmers continue to face rising input costs, stagnating incomes and growing uncertainty. Over 50 per cent of farmers are pessimistic about their future, with many dissatisfied by the pace and direction of EU policy reform – so much so that over half are prepared to take to the streets again. But beyond the frustration lies a roadmap for recovery. Farmers' Horizon 2025, a newly published Ipsos study commissioned by CropLife Europe, reveals not only the challenges but also the solutions farmers say they need to turn things around. Achieving sustainable growth in European farming depends on EU authorities listening to and acting on the concerns of Europe's farmers. The Ipsos survey offers a representative outlook of nearly 2,000 farmers across nine EU member states, providing insight on what farmers need to regain optimism in the profession. Unsurprisingly, economic relief was cited as the number one priority for 82 per cent of farmers, with calls for improved access to loans or subsidies, as well as fairer redistribution of profits across the value chain, to help them stay afloat in challenging times. Additionally, 57 per cent want reduced red tape and fewer bureaucratic hurdles, while one in three urge better access to research and effective tools, particularly crop protection products and digital technologies. Others, such as those in Romania, called for faster support payments and better facilitation of sustainability schemes. A related Euronews debate, Farmers' Horizon: Sustainability, Innovation and the Toolbox, brought together representatives and policymakers to dig deeper into the study's findings, shaping direction for future policy. Here's what they found: Despite growing interest in digital tools – such as decision-support systems, satellite imagery and autonomous equipment – adoption remains low, averaging just 20–30 per cent. The biggest hurdle to adoption is cost, with two-thirds of surveyed farmers saying they lack the financial means to invest in new technologies. Farmers also cite regulatory delays and a lack of transitional support as key obstacles to adoption, suggesting that while digital tools hold huge promise, most farmers remain locked out of opportunities without enhanced financial and advisory support. Sector representatives and environmental policymakers referred to the need for practical, results-based eco schemes, advisory services and targeted funding to balance productivity with environmental and digital ambitions. Several EU-funded initiatives, such as Horizon Europe and the EU CAP Network, are already working to bridge this gap. Success stories from countries like Sweden – where manure management programmes are boosting both sustainability and income – point to what's possible when innovation meets practical support. Red tape also came out as a persistent barrier to competitiveness. Over half of farmers surveyed want simpler regulations and reduced administrative burdens, enabling them to focus resources on innovation and sustainability. Regulatory delays also present a challenge for crop protection. Though farmers face increasing pressure from pests and diseases, one in three reported difficulty accessing standard crop protection products, particularly in Spain and Germany. Hansen agreed this was a matter for EU policy to address: 'We are very quick to take off active substances from the market but we are very slow on delivering the alternatives,' he said. 'In the United States, [biopesticide authorisation] is done in less than 12 months. In Europe, it takes five to eight years.' Extreme weather events and climatic changes, from floods and droughts to unseasonal frosts and changing rainfall patterns, are increasingly disrupting Europe's agricultural output. As such, climate-related stressors are now daily realities for many European farmers. According to the study, 26 per cent of farmers ranked extreme weather and climatic events among their top five difficulties in 2025, placing the concern just behind regulatory burdens and low market prices. In Poland and Romania this issue was particularly pronounced, with Romanian farmers citing it as their leading difficulty. Climate disruptions not only affect yield but also compound financial stress, especially when insurance mechanisms, recovery funding or early-warning systems fall short. Panellists agreed that environmental resilience must be built into the farming model. Théo Paquet, Senior Policy Officer for Agriculture at the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) drove home the point. 'If we want farmers to produce food in 20, 30, 40 years, protecting our soils needs to be at the forefront of everyone's minds,' he said. That means supporting risk-mitigation practices such as diversified cropping, improved irrigation, regenerative farming and soil monitoring. Crucially, it also means designing eco schemes that reward long-term sustainability and forward-thinking ambition, not just compliance. Farmers are not resisting green measures. In fact, they're asking for systems that make climate adaptation feasible, both financially and practically. That is why, all eyes will be on the hotly awaited European Commission's Water Resilience Strategy, due to be published in early June 2025. In it, farmers will be looking for clear local guidance alongside ambitious measures that address water-related challenges and promote more equitable and efficient resource management, particularly for farmers in drought-prone or mountainous regions. From both the report and the debate, it was clear that farmers are not against environmental action – but they want it to work in practice. The Ipsos study and subsequent discussion revealed a sector with a strong sense of purpose and clarity on what it needs. With coordinated action that heeds farmers' concerns, Europe's farming sector can move from crisis to confidence. When asked to summarise how the future of farming can be secured, Jens Hartmann, Chair of CropLife Europe was clear: 'incentivisation, simplicity and innovation,' he confirmed. As Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) adjustments are debated in Brussels, the next chapter for Europe's farmers is as yet unclear. Whether it's one of decline or renewal depends on the willingness of decision-makers to listen, invest and act. Discover the full Farmers' Horizon 2025 report.
Euronews
19-05-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Farmers' protests: a year on, Europe's farmers demand change
A recent Euronews event discussed the path forward for Europe's farmers one year after the protests. One year on from the wave of farmers' protests that swept across Europe, a panel of industry experts, policymakers and farmer and environment representatives came together in Brussels to reflect on the state of agriculture today. The Farmers' Horizon: Sustainability and Innovation Toolbox event, sponsored by CropLife Europe and hosted by Euronews, cast a clear eye on the sector's evolving challenges and ambitions, drawing insights from a newly published Ipsos survey, Farmers' Horizon 2025, which highlighted the ongoing frustrations faced by many farmers across the continent. A key speaker at the event was European Commissioner for Agriculture, Christoph Hansen, who shared the Commission's ongoing efforts to address farmers' demands following the 2024 protests. 'We've already delivered a package on the Common Market Organisation (CMO) Regulation and the unfair trading practices directive, addressing one key concern: better prices for high-value products to strengthen farmers' position in the value chain,' he noted. Hansen went on to discuss the continued need to reduce administrative overlaps, particularly for small farms, denying the notion that the Commission was backtracking on environmental commitments. He emphasised that EU regulations would only come into effect if there were no national measures in place, accelerating relief for farmers while ensuring strict sustainability standards. On the point of investment, Hansen stressed the importance of adequate funding to support both digitisation and sustainable practices. However, with the Ipsos survey results pointing to a weakening economic situation for Europe's farmers, the question for the main debate remained whether Europe's policymakers were doing enough to secure the future of farming. Damien Barnier, Director of Ipsos Lyon, offered a sobering overview of the results of the 2025 Farmers' Horizon survey, which drew responses from 1,998 European farmers, across nine countries, commissioned by CropLife Europe. In terms of outlook, 46 per cent of farmers surveyed were pessimistic about the current situation and 51 per cent were pessimistic about the future. Consequently, the report warned, 55 per cent of farmers are ready to protest again – a major cause for alarm among our Brussels audience and the wider European public. Many farmers showed dissatisfaction with the lack of EU action following the protests and two out of three European farmers reported worsening economic conditions compared to last year. Economic support and administrative simplification were deemed top priorities for farmers across Europe, with 69 per cent claiming that current product prices did not allow for a sufficient profit margin, and 50 per cent struggling to cover basic farm expenses. International competition from abroad was seen as having a key impact on farmers' bottom line, with 68 per cent reporting worse competition since the protests. Hansen echoed the European Environmental Bureau's (EEB) view here, saying that more needed to be done to stop less-regulated imports entering Europe. 'This doesn't make sense,' he remarked. Tackling this would have dual benefits: enabling better protection of environmental goals and creating fairer market conditions for farmers. The Ipsos findings underscored the urgency for EU intervention to bridge the gap between policy and realities on the farm. During the panel discussion, Elli Tsiforou, Secretary General of Copa-Cogeca, an organisation representing the voices of 22 million farmers and 22,000 agri-cooperatives around Europe, stressed the need for a more consistent EU presence in member states to fix this gap. 'The strategic dialogue had utility and value, but we need to be more pragmatic,' she said. 'Overproduction of policies - some contradictory - makes it hard for farmers to implement regulation on the ground,' Tsiforou said. The discussion addressed anticipated Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) adjustments, which the Commission projected would save up to €1.58 billion annually for the farming community. Jens Hartmann, Chair of CropLife Europe, congratulated this move, remarking that the sector is 'moving more towards incentivisation and profitability' for farming businesses, but also suggested that predictability could be improved not only for farmers but for the entire agricultural sector. Tsiforou raised concerns over the dilution of the CAP into a single fund, noting that Copa-Cogeca would be protesting any rushed changes to the agricultural framework, without clarity regarding financial resources, governance structures, or meaningful consultation with the agricultural sector. 'If we lose [the integrity of the policy], a domino effect could hit the heart of the EU single market," she warned. She further insisted that an adequate budget adapted to inflation was essential, both to the success of the policy and the future success of Europe's farmers. Théo Paquet, Senior Policy Officer for Agriculture at the EEB agreed that a baseline level of income support was necessary, and he also made the call for stronger environmental schemes. He asserted that Europe's policymakers must provide more incentives for farmers who go beyond basic conservation in order to drive real, sustainable change. 'If we want farmers to produce food in 20, 30 or 40 years, protecting our soils needs to be at the forefront of everyone's minds,' he argued. One of the central discussions at the event revolved around innovation in agriculture, highlighting how digital farming solutions, precision technology and sustainable crop protection would enhance productivity and sustainability simultaneously, which would also have a positive knock-on effect for farmers' incomes. Panellists stressed that insufficient investment in new technologies and regulatory delays were hindering innovation and the market entry of safer, more sustainable solutions like biopesticides. Hansen admitted that the European Commission was 'quick to take products off the market but slow to provide alternatives,' leaving farmers with fewer options. CropLife Europe's Hartmann insisted on the need to maintain a full crop protection toolbox, echoing the sentiment of one third of surveyed farmers in France, Germany, Poland, Belgium and the Netherlands. 'Our task is to ensure the farming community has all the right tools to make their lives easier and a simplified process to allow them to do what they do best.' Hartmann referred to the need to 'put tools directly into the hands of farmers,' providing easier access to technology that could bypass administrative bottlenecks. For sustainable agriculture to succeed, he summarised, the next policy needed to be driven by 'incentivisation, simplicity and innovation.' The rest of the panel concluded that while digital solutions held enormous promise, achieving widespread adoption would require greater investment and advisory support for farmers during the transition. Without these foundational changes, many farms risked being left out of the digital revolution currently reshaping European agriculture. While positions on streamlining regulation were met with warnings against backtracking on green ambitions, panellists found common ground on the need for economic incentives and access to innovation to inspire the next generation. 'We need to give hope and fun back to our farmers, not just more paperwork after long working hours.' The debate underlined the complexity of policymaking in agriculture, whereby the priorities of farmers, innovators and policymakers had to be balanced carefully. However, EEB's Paquet stressed that environmental sustainability and economic competitiveness were not mutually exclusive, stating that they all shared a common goal of working towards a sustainable agricultural future for Europe. While the Ipsos survey revealed deep economic challenges and the looming threat of future protests, the event closed on a note of cautious optimism. There was a shared commitment to bridge the gap between policy, practice and environmental factors to drive momentum towards a stronger, more resilient European farming sector.
