Our food and farming system is being taken further down the road of industrialisation – with the use of more chemicals, more factory farms and controlled by even bigger corporations. Small scale, sustainable producers are being pushed out and healthy food is increasingly becoming a luxury for the wealthy.
Industrialised global food systems cause land grabbing, deforestation and climate change, disproportionately impacting communities in the Global South in order to produce Europe’s food.
Animal welfare and human health suffer as a result of unsustainable farming practices.
We believe that all people have the right to healthy, sustainable and culturally appropriate food, that food should be produced on farms not in factories and small scale farmers should be able to make a living off their produce.
We believe the seeds we plant and the food we eat should not be owned and controlled by big agri-businesses that prioritise profit over people.
We believe our food system should protect our soil, water, ecosystems and biodiversity.
We believe the solutions to sustainable and fair farming already exist. We believe that together we are powerful and we can change our food system.
What has the CAP got to do with it?
In the EU, our food system is largely determined by the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
The CAP is the single biggest budget item, making up around 40% of the EU’s current budget. This money goes on income support for farmers, influencing the market and developing rural areas.
Subsidies for farmers are essential in a system where most farmers are unable to make a living off their produce. However, currently these subsidies are dependent on how much land you own, leading to increased competition for land and concentration in the hands of a few.
This system encourages industrialised, large scale farming for wholesale markets, rather than providing for a local area. We have seen an intensification of pesticide use, factory farming and ownership of all aspects of our food system by ever fewer corporations.
The recent proposals for the next CAP, due to start in 2020, pushes decision making on these issues to EU member states and campaigners worry this could lead to a “race to the bottom” as countries focus on being globally competitive rather than providing ecologially and socially sustainable food.
This October, raise your voice for a food system that works for farmers, consumers and our future!
Check out the Good Food Good Farming campaign’s website for more info, resource and to add your actions to the joint map!
Keep an eye out for upcoming action guides and case studies of some of our favourite food and farming actions from YFoE groups!
***
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This website reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.