The views and opinions expressed on this page are those of the statement authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and of all its scientists.
Scientists call for action for the EU Common Agricultural Policy to address sustainability challenges
An open statement signed by over 3,600 scientists across Europe and beyond
About our statement
Abstract
Making agriculture sustainable is a global challenge. In the European Union (EU), the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is failing with respect to biodiversity, climate, soil, land degradation as well as socio-economic challenges.
The European Commission’s proposal for a CAP post-2020 provides a scope for enhanced sustainability. However, it also allows Member States to choose low-ambition implementation pathways. It therefore remains essential to address citizens’ demands for sustainable agriculture and rectify systemic weaknesses in the CAP, using the full breadth of available scientific evidence and knowledge.
Concerned about current attempts to dilute the environmental ambition of the future CAP, and the lack of concrete proposals for improving the CAP in the draft of the European Green Deal, we call on the European Parliament, Council and Commission to adopt ten urgent action points for delivering sustainable food production, biodiversity conservation, and climate mitigation.
Knowledge is available to help moving towards an evidence-based, sustainable European agriculture that can benefit people, nature and their joint futures.
The statements made in this article have the broad support of the scientific community, expressed by over 3,600 signatories to the preprint version of this manuscript.
Reference:
G. Pe’er, A. Bonn, H. Bruelheide, P. Dieker, N. Eisenhauer, P. H. Feindt, G. Hagedorn, B. Hansjürgens, I. Herzon, A. Lomba, E. Marquard, F. Moreira, H. Nitsch, R. Oppermann, A. Perino, N. Röder, C. Schleyer, S. Schindler, C. Wolf, Y. Zinngrebe, S. Lakner (2020): Action needed for the EU Common Agricultural Policy to address sustainability challenges. The Position Paper was made available online on 4.11.2019 and opened for signatories until 19.2.2020; A peer reviewed derivation was published in People and Nature on 9.3.2020 (DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10080)
Read the full statement
Published in People and Nature – 9 March 2020
DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10080
Over 3,600 scientists have signed the statement, covering all EU Member States and additional 36 countries.
Here you can read the full paper in...
Czech , Deutsch , Italiano (pre-print version), Română (pre-print version).
The abstract is also available in...
Български (Bulgarian), Eesti (Estonian), Español, Français, Hrvatski (Croatian)
News and further reading
NEWS:
March 2021: Draft recommendations for the CAP's Green Architecture, based on contributions by over 300 scientists in 22 Member States - Summary for Policy Makers (Draft V1). The full synthesis report will be released soon.
February 2021: Final invitation for scientists (CAP experts), interested in developing recommendations for the CAP's Green Architecture, to fill our online survey (closed 10.3.2021)
January 2021: A reply from the Wolfgang Butscher, EU Commission, received on our Statement by Scientists (LINK)
December 2020: The EU's Common Agriculture Policy and Sustainable Farming: A statement by scientists - published in Zenodo 8.12.2020, LINK) and sent to members of the European Parliament, Council and the Commission.
November 2020: PPT Presentation used at meeting with Ag. Minister Julia Klöckner, 25.11.2020
Juli 2020: Brief an Frau Bundesministerin Julia Klöckner, Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft: "Angebot zum Dialog und Unterstützung zur Ausgestaltung der künftigen Gemeinsamen Agrarpolitik" (7.7.2020; Erinnerung 29.7.2020)
June 2020: We are happy to inform that representatives of our group recently met Vice-Presisent Timmermans (5.5.2020), Commissioner Sinkevicius (15.6.2020) and Commissioner Wojciechowski (17.6.2020) to discuss how science can help improving the CAP.
- Letter from the authors to President von der Leyen and Vice-President Timmermans, 13.3.2020
- Letter from the authors to Commissioner Wojciechowski , 13.3.2020
- PPT Presentation used at meeting with Commissioner Wojciechowski, 6.2020
Further reading:
What is wrong with the CAP?
Read the 260-page Fitness Check, indicating both environmental and socioeconomic weaknesses.
What makes the Commission proposal of 2018 weak?
Read Pe’er et al. 2019, Science (free open access link); download the 65-page supplementary materials (PDF)
Why are the flaws of placing food security as an argument against environmental ambition? Read a Blog-post by Pe'er & Lakner.
What are the problems with the Council's position on the CAP? Read a Blog-post by Lakner & Pe'er.
Read COMAGRI’s vote of 2 April 2019 for proposed amendments here, and the initial proposal made by the Member States’ Council here, to judge by yourself.
See an expression of concern by 15 NGOs on the watering down of Conditionality here.
See Open Letter by professional societies of ornithologists, mammalogists, herpetologists and butterfly experts here.
Read the Statement by the Rural Coalition of farmers, comprising CEJA, CEPF, CIC, Copa and Cogeca, ELO, FACE and UECBV regarding the CAP-proposal here.
Evidence-based recommendations made by scientists and other stakeholders in Ireland (see CAP4Nature here).
Guy Pe'er is a researcher at iDiv working under the strategic project iCAP-BES: "impacts of the Common Agricultural Policy on Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services and people". He is also affiliated with Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Dept. Ecosystem Services.
