The European Union has just reached an agreement on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

From now on, at least 20% of the CAP budget will be devoted to demanding environmental programs: organic, reduction of pesticides, aid for forests ...

Europe wants to become a great power in sustainable agriculture.

This is the meaning of the agreement which has just been concluded between the 27 on the future of the common agricultural policy.

There is an infallible sign which shows that it is a good agreement: the Brussels NGOs are not happy.

Why ?

Because they would like us to go much faster in the promotion of organic products or in the reduction of pesticides.

However, instead of adopting this extreme and unrealistic vision, which is often disconnected from the real life of farmers, the 27 have on the contrary found a compromise which makes it possible to move towards more sustainable agriculture.

Without destabilizing the entire ecosystem or imposing unbearable constraints on a sector that is already suffering a lot.

What is changing?

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is by far the first budget of the European Union, nearly 400 billion euros over 7 years.

More than two thirds of this budget is direct aid to farmers.

The big news is that 20% of this aid will have to finance actions in favor of the environment: it can be organic farming, it can be the replanting of hedges, it can be aid for forests. , etc.

This is important, but we must not forget the main objective of the CAP since its beginnings in the 1950s, which is food sovereignty: the aim is first of all to feed the European population.

So support for agricultural production.

This 'productivist' dimension of the CAP is still there, it is necessary, but we add a green dimension to it with this 20% share of the budget reserved for demanding environmental programs. With this agreement, we have a balance between the two requirements : produce a lot because the mass needs are there, but at the same time produce better.

What about competitive inequalities with the countries of Eastern Europe?

Today, it is true, countries like France or Italy are subject to competition from Eastern European countries which are much less careful with standards.

And who have less demanding national governments.

We cannot be the only ones to ban certain pesticides or fertilizers if everyone else is using them.

So yes the environmental standards will be harmonized, the agreement provides for it.

It's a big job that will take time.