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A study from UNICEF finds that children in the world are not fed correctly, calling for joint action on nutrition policy coordination. At the same time, statistics from the EU reveal that Europeans do not reach the recommended portions of fruit and vegetable daily. More evidence on the importance of a healthy diet show the reduced risk of blood cots and stroke risk.
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More and more crops that have been genetically modified are being approved for field experimentation, such as lettuce, rice, maize. Whereas in the UK political declaration are pointing at the direction of a more relax legislative environment for gene editing, in China, public authorities are about to draft new rules to ease the application and approval procedure for edited crops.
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Strategic priorities: organic farming and livestock
The Plan recognizes the importance of organic farming to contribute to the achievement of all environmental objectives; indeed, the sector is allocated about 2.5 billion euro in the five-year period within the rural development. The allocation already foreseen by rural development (1.5 billion euros) is in fact integrated with an additional endowment of about 1 billion euros, partly transferred from the first pillar (90 million euros/year) and partly coming from the increase in national co-financing.
The relaunch of Italian livestock farming and its competitiveness goes through a great attention to sustainability. With this objective, a significant share of the resources for eco-schemes is dedicated to animal welfare and the reduction of the use of antimicrobial in animal husbandry (about 1.8 billion euros). This initiative is accompanied by other important interventions in rural development for the adoption of good zootechnical practices for animal welfare (330 million euros), for commitments aimed at improving the management of livestock effluents (70 million euros).
The green architecture
In total, around 10 billion euros, between Pillar I and II, are allocated to interventions with clear environmental aims.
In this context, great importance will be given to the 5 national eco-schemes, to which 25% of direct aid resources will be allocated (around 4.4 billion euros) to support farms in adopting agro-ecological practices for climate and environmental sustainability. The eco-schemes will operate in synergy with the 26 agro-environment-climate measures (AECM) (1.5 billion euros), measures in favor of sustainable forestry (500 million euros), productive, non-productive and infrastructural investments for environmental purposes (650 million euros), with the environmental actions foreseen within the sectoral interventions and the environmental investments of the NRRP, an integral part of this strategy.
ECO-SCHEME 1 – Payment for the reduction of antimicrobial resistance and animal welfare
A specific eco-scheme has been foreseen to pursue the goal of reducing the use of drugs in animal husbandry, to counter the antimicrobial resistance, a real global health emergency. A significant part of the resources for eco-schemes, i.e. around 1.8 billion euros for the entire programming period, has been allocated to this intervention. In particular, payment for animal welfare and antibiotic reduction is foreseen, with two levels of commitment, the first relating to compliance with thresholds for the use of veterinary drugs (antibiotics), the second for farms that commit to specific obligations in the field of animal welfare and practice grazing or semi-wild farming. This initiative is accompanied by a specific intervention in rural development aimed at supporting the adoption of good zootechnical practices for animal welfare (330 million euros).
Approximately 360 million euros per year, around 41% of the resources foreseen for the adoption of eco-schemes go to the eco-scheme 1.
ECO-SCHEME 2 Weeding of tree crops, for which all areas occupied by permanent crops and other permanent tree species in quick rotation are eligible.
The total cost of this intervention is estimated at 161 million euros / year, about 17.8% of the resources provided for the adoption of eco-schemes.
ECO-SCHEME 3 – Safeguarding olive trees of particular landscape value, on which the following specific commitments are met:
-annual pruning of the foliage according to established criteria; -prohibition of burning on site of pruning residues, unless otherwise specified as a result of adherence to certified quality systems or by the competent phytosanitary authorities.
To access the support of ECO-3 it is necessary to adhere also to the commitments provided by ECO-2, with the possibility of combined payments.
The total cost of this intervention is estimated at 156 million euros/year, about 17% of the resources provided for the adoption of eco-schemes.
ECO-SCHEME 4 – Extensive fodder systems, aimed at encouraging the introduction in rotation of leguminous and fodder crops, as well as renovation crops with a commitment to residue management in a carbon sink perspective, in order to support production guidelines less impactful in terms of use of productive inputs.
The total cost of this intervention is estimated at 169 million euros/year, around 19% of the resources foreseen for the adoption of eco-schemes.
ECO-SCHEME 5 – Specific measures for pollinators (both on herbaceous and tree crops), arable land and land occupied by permanent crops are eligible on which the following commitments are met:
-cultivation of crops of melliferous interest in arable land, including a commitment not to use herbicides and other plant protection products in the field and borders in the year of commitment; -cultivation of crops of melliferous interest in the inter-row of permanent crops, including a commitment not to use herbicides and other phytosanitary products in the field and in the borders in the year of commitment.
The total cost of this intervention is estimated at 45 million euros/year, about 5% of the resources provided for the adoption of eco-schemes.
In addition to the eco-schemes in the first pillar, the green architecture is supported by the agro-environment-climate measures (AECM) and forestry interventions in the second pillar. A total of 26 AECM interventions are foreseen with a planned expenditure of around 1.5 billion euros, 5 forestry interventions with clearly environmental objectives with around 250 million euros.
Essential elements of green architecture are also all the measures of the innovation system that can be envisaged both in rural development and in sectoral interventions. Training and advice are fundamental to ensure that in their path towards ecological transition, each beneficiary is accompanied by adequate support action aimed at strengthening their skills and/or offering dedicated advisory services.
Internal Convergence
The process of progressive equalization of the level of income support continues, taking the entire national territory as a reference. The reference to Italy as a single region puts into effect – through internal convergence to 85% of the national average by 2026– a considerable rebalancing in the allocation of direct payment resources, to the advantage of intermediate rural areas and rural areas with development problems, as well as to the advantage of mountainous areas and some inland hill areas. At the same time, 10% of the national envelope is allocated to redistributive support, focusing attention on small and medium-sized farms; also in this case there are no territorial or regional differentiations.
Coupled payment
In order to take into account the challenges and difficulties faced by sectors and products that are important for social, economic or environmental reasons, and with the aim of improving their competitiveness, sustainability and quality, the Strategy allocates 13% of the direct payment budget to coupled support.
To this is added a further 2% of resources to be allocated to the support of protein crops, in order to reduce the relative deficit of Italy and the Union, supporting crops that also allow to achieve an improvement of organic matter in the soil.
Coupled payments for: durum wheat; rice; sugar beet; tomatoes-processing; oilseeds; citrus fruits; olives; protein crops; cow’s milk; mountain milk, buffalo milk, suckler cows, ewe lambs for replacement; slaughtered sheep and goats.
Risk management
Almost 3 billion euros allocated to subsidized insurance and the new national mutual fund, to which farmers also contribute through a 3% deduction from direct payments.
In order to increase the participation of farmers, the activation of a basic mutual coverage against catastrophic weather and climate events has been foreseen for all farms receiving direct payments, through the establishment of a national mutual fund. This intervention is integrated with support for the subscription of subsidized insurance policies, which cover losses caused by adverse weather, animal and plant diseases or parasite infestations.
Young farmers
The Plan foresees the strengthening of policies in favor of young people, integrating the instruments of the first and second pillar, so as to mobilize a total of 1,250 million Euros. In fact, young farmers are more receptive to innovation and digitization, thus more ready to face the new challenges of competitiveness and resilience of the agricultural sector. With these objectives, 2% of the direct payments ceiling (350 million euros) will be used as complementary income support for young farmers and 1% will be transferred to the second pillar. In this way, the allocation already provided for in rural development (540 million euros) is supplemented by an additional endowment of around 360 million euros, partly transferred from the first pillar, partly from the increase in national co-financing.
Rising production costs for all agricultural sectors, particularly livestock, are a concern. Many sectors are demanding higher producer prices and improved farm incomes.
Opportunities have developed for some UK livestock sectors as a result of Brexit. In Ireland, however, the vote by MEPs to ban the transport of very young animals is described as a ‘blow’ to the calf exports industry.
Since the end of summer 2021, in Europe (geographical), 26 countries have been affected by influenza viruses, involving more than 400 outbreaks in livestock and 600 cases in wildlife. Affected farms are subject to strict biosecurity measures and disease control zones are in place.
Animal health companies have developed 49 new vaccines over the past two years as part of an industry-wide strategy to help reduce the need for antibiotics. In addition to producing vaccines, some industries have launched a range of other preventive products and 17 new diagnostic tools.
In Germany, the new government will act to improve farm animal welfare and a mandatory animal welfare label will be introduced for meat from 2022.
The European Commission has presented its carbon farming initiative, which aims to increase the amount of carbon dioxide stored in the soil – with the aim of achieving climate neutrality in the land sector by 2035. This ‘carbon farming’ proposal would reward farmers for managing or sequestering carbon, becoming a new source of income for land managers.
In France, a reduction in methane emissions from livestock has been observed since the 1990s, thanks to various levers. In order to pursue these methane reduction objectives, changes in the livestock production system will have to be made, as well as the implementation of certain actions on the farm, changes and actions that have yet to be prioritised.
The European Commission has published a report on the European Union’s Agricultural Outlook for 2021-31, but without incorporating the potential impact of the measures put forward in its Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies. Meat and dairy markets will be influenced by sustainability, social and health issues over the coming decades, both in terms of production types and consumption patterns.
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The BECA Committee on Beating Cancer has finally approved the report on the European strategy to fight against cancer. Nutrition is not addressed as much, despite the important role that plays in preventing some type of cancers.
Lab-grown meat industry, at the same time, is on the rise, with more million invested in the business and the opening of an office in Brussels to represent their interests.
On the Front-of-package debate, the Italian competition authority has opened some cases against the Nutri Score, accused of distorting the market and of unfair trade practices.
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In the two past months the European Commission has proposed two legislative initiative packages, notably the Carbon farming initiative and the Soil strategy. The former is about creating a remunerative system for farmers to incentivise the stock of carbon into soil, borrowing the logic of the ETS system already into place; while the former is the legislative package proposed to improve the health of EU soils and management.
Also, on the side of animal welfare the European Parliament has been active in voting its conclusions on the transportation of animals (ANIT Committee) and proposing resolutions, namely on the introduction of temperature, humidity, and ammonia recording devices in lorries and the set of journey limits. The Commission renewed its commitment on this dossier, with Commissioner Kyriakides reminding the institution’s action plan during an on-line even on the wider topic of animal welfare.
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During the last reunion of the year of the Environmental Council of the EU, Ministers showed to be more resistant to modification of the current GMO legislation, notably in a note advanced by the Austrian delegation calling on the precautionary principle to be applied. At the same time, the Commission still reiterates its commitment to use these technologies -New Genomic Techniques- as one of the tool to put into practice the Farm to Fork and increase the sustainability of the EU agri sector.
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In November the negotiations talks on the new government coalition in Germany brought their fruits and a new German agriculture minister from the Green Party, Cem Özdemir, has been confirmed. In the coalitions’ agreement the topic of genetic engineering does not seem to be a priority.
On the other side of the Atlantic, the US Congress discussed in what it seemed to be a very favourable environment to adopt new technologies such as gene editing tool, and thus increase public investment, to face sustainability challenge.
At the same time, the pressure is mounting from civil society organisations to re-discuss the patent on seeds.
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On November 17, 2021, the European Commission published the EU Soil Strategy for 2030, a non-legislative document that addresses the issue of soil health. It is a document that outlines a framework and voluntary or legally binding actions that the Commission intends to undertake to protect, restore and sustainably use European soil. The strategy concretely translates some of the objectives of the European Green Deal and integrates with a series of strategies and policies already decided by the European Commission: from Farm to Fork to the Zero Pollution Action Plan, from the Biodiversity Strategy to the new CAP.
The Strategy is preparatory to a legislative proposal on soil health that the Commission will table by 2023 which will enable the objectives of this strategy to be met and good soil health to be achieved across the EU by 2050, together with the upcoming Commission proposal for a Nature Restoration Law aims at restoring ecosystems to good condition by 2050.
Given the lack of EU soil policy so far, the Communication has the ambition to address this gap and proposes an overall strategy on all aspects of a healthy soil having an impact on climate change, biodiversity, circular economy, food security and water protection and all policies to be adopted to overcome its degradation.
Of all the actions the Commission is committed to taking, the most significant are:
Moreover, the Commission will show its global leading role in building knowledge on soil biodiversity by publishing by 2022 the first assessment of EU soil biodiversity and antimicrobial resistance genes in agricultural soils under different management regimes (through the LUCAS (Land Use and Coverage Area frame Survey) ).
In the context of the CAP and in close cooperation with the Member States, Commission will continue the dissemination of successful sustainable soil and nutrient management solutions, including through the national rural networks of the rural development programme, farm advisory services and AKIS, and the European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI).
The initiatives that make up this Soil Strategy are themselves at very different stages of maturation:
– the preparation of the revision of the directive on the sustainable use of pesticides is well underway,
– in contrast, the issue of plastics in soils is at the research stage with Horizon 2020 projects selected for launch in mid-2021, where the fundamental work has only just begun and will last four years,
– regarding the Carbon farming initiative, which should be the subject of a communication from the Commission next week, it seems that the Commission is more concerned with developing their methodology and collecting data. On grasslands, the most advanced point, the question of the capacity of soils to increase their storage or the fact that a ceiling is reached at some point is not clear. The methodology for estimating soil storage, for assessing the impact of changes in production techniques, for evaluating the contribution of those who are already better off, seem to be works in progress on which it seems important that we invest.
– finally, the commission endorses the objective of accelerating the deployment of the Great Green Wall in Africa with a shared objective of progress to be made on this file during the first half of 2022
October has marked the first step in the opening of the revision of the European legislation on GMOs, with the European Commission’s feedback period opened to receive the opinion of the European stakeholders on the matter. More than 70 000 feedbacks have reached the Commission offices, mainly for German and French citizens.
Also, the European Parliament approved the Farm to Fork Strategy (agricultural branch of the Green Deal) with a paragraph on NGTs.
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