Farming “faces structural challenges that demand attention” the EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, Christophe Hansen, has warned.
Christophe Hansen also highlighted at the European Agri-Food Days conference in Brussels, the key challenges that the EU agri-sector is currently facing including on the geo-political and climate front.
“Sharp decline in farms is a real challenge, an aging farming population, economic gaps within and with other sectors in the economy and pressures make farming a risky and very stressful occupation.
” At the same time where there are challenges I believe there are also all the time opportunities and this is why we need a clear vision for a competitive, resilient and sustainable agriculture sector to halt or reverse challenges and unlock the sector’s potential to seize the opportunities that the future will bring,” Commissioner Hansen said.
He also outlined that there needs to be vision for agriculture that “will be a road map for the path ahead and the direction we should strive for”.
Commissioner Hansen said: “It will cover a broad set of strategic issues for agriculture and food and for the farming community.
“The socio-economic situation of farmers, making farming occupation attractive again making value chains fairer, enhancing resilience of farmers, incentivies for sustainable farming practices and identifying paths for alternative income generation, make managing and reducing administrative burden – this is something a lot of farmers are complaining about – stimulating knowledge innovation and investment, stimulating bioeconomy and circularity.”
In addition to this he said it was important that the EU has competitive food supply chain, which stimulate sustainable food environments.
“All these aspects need to be addressed to pave the way for generational renewal because we need young farmers.
“We have to start from a very simple question what does the young farmer need today?” the EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Food asked of the audience at the conference which brings together farmers, agri-food system stakeholders, civil society, consumers, academia and policymakers from across the EU.
He believes that “without creating the right conditions” for young farmers the EU risks losing the next generation in agriculture – he also stressed that “generational renewal” will be a priority for him.
Commissioner Hansen
According to Commissioner Hansen the first condition that a young farmer needs is “sufficient income”, the second is “essential resources – a farmer will need fertile soil, access to land and access to capital”, he detailed.
“Also they will need key skills and technology to farm sustainably in the changing climate.
“We need attractive rural areas supporting family farming across all our European Union – it is important that all our rural communities have access to broadband internet if we want a future-orientated agriculture, we need this technological progress,” he added.