(no subject)

[andrewducker]

Finally, the EU is moving towards common sense:

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) takes up nearly half of all EU spending and is blamed for encouraging massive overproduction - creating notorious "food mountains" and exports at subsidised prices.

The European Commission wants to abolish the subsidies, and replace them with a single payment which would reduce over time, leaving farmers to make decisions according to what consumers want, rather than how much subsidy they could earn.

BBC environment correspondent Tim Hirsch says there is great pressure to reach agreement this week ahead of world trade talks in Mexico in September where farm subsidies will be a major issue.

Under the proposed plan, the money saved from scrapping subsidies would be used to help boost rural development and environmental protection.

The EU subsidies on farming make it much harder for the African farming communities to export produce to Europe, making their financial situation much worse. By changing this, we can hopefully improve their situation dramatically.

Comments

[cangetmad.livejournal.com]

And EU subsidies on overproduction lead to disastrous land use and a strong disincentive to organics and environmentally helpful agriculture - for example, one big field produces more than two small ones, so ancient hedgerows get ripped out and habitats are destroyed.

It's been clear for ages that the CAP was a complete fuck-up. Dumping food on developing countries is about the worst thing you can do for the chance of sustainable economies there, and they're damn right to want something done about it.

[andrewducker]

I'm glad they're putting money aside for rural development/environmental protection though - I like the idea of paying farmers to look after the land (a) because it should be and (b) because tourists like it.

Good lord, a subject we agree on :->

[davecleghorn.livejournal.com]

Does any of this actually help the farmers?

[cangetmad.livejournal.com]

Paying farmers to look after the land helps them financially. And, actually, supporting less intensive and chemical-driven farming is good for farmers' health (the incidence of neurological damage from sheep-dip, for example, is huge). What would help would be food pricing that valued well-produced local and ethical products.

[andrewducker]

In the long run, there will probably be less farmers.

I don't think this is any worse a thing than the fact that there are less candle-makers or steam-engine drivers around any more.

But the process looks like it will be made as slow and painless as possible.

[cangetmad.livejournal.com]

It's a bit of a pet peeve of mine, this whole "compensate farmers!" culture: nobody compesates anyone else when their businesses fail or they lose their jobs, do they? But, actually, sustainable farming is slightly more labour-intensive, isn't it? And organic farming is very labour-intensive. So if those methods of production were a financial possibility for a fair percentage of the farmed land in the UK, there might actually be more farm workers.

[davecleghorn.livejournal.com]

Good point. I’m all for these local farmers markets actually – the food you get there is of a much higher quality; well its real. Its worth the little bit extra you have to pay and helps the farmers from being f*cked in the ass at market or from supermarket chains. I’m actually pretty worried about mass production of food nowadays and the fact you have no idea what’s in it (Panorama’s recent chicken with hydrolised proteins for example).

[andrewducker]

There's a great bit in a Heinlein short story where a scientist threatens to go into business making candles and then sue the light-bulb makers for making it hard for him to make a profit. :->

It's yet another reason for the Universal Benefit - we don't have to support inefficient businesses just to keep people going, if we can support the people instead.

[andrewducker]

But I _like_ Bacon in my Chicken :->

Yeah, I really ought to get my ass to the local farmer's market once every couple of weeks.

[davecleghorn.livejournal.com]

Well worth it man.

[andrewducker]

It's funny, but I still think of "Dave, whose Mum does all of his house-stuff."
Which is pretty ridiculous considering you've been living alone for what, 9 months now?

When am I going to get you through here?

[davecleghorn.livejournal.com]

It’s actually 12 months, although it seems more like 6. Its amazing how long you can live on beer and pot-noodles alone :) I want to come through soon. Got a stag do this weekend so will be incredibly poor for the rest of the month. Next pay day? 28th...

[andrewducker]

I get paid on Friday :->

and yeah, sure end of the month is good for me. I'll pencil you in for then.

[guyinahat.livejournal.com]

And CAP is a huge sore point with the United States. I hate to think how much more CAP costs us in terms of the retaliatory protectionist policies of other developed countries. And that burden often goes on completely unrelated industries that have nothing to do with farming.

[heron61.livejournal.com]

I find reading news like this and the discussion it generates among people in the EU both wonderful and depressing. I'm very pleased that the EU seems to be headed for policies that aid both people and the environment in important and real ways and depressed that the US is such a backward hellhole.

[andrewducker]

The US does have a 20% subsidy itself...