Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I will keep my points brief, as my time is limited. While the negotiators continue to work towards a consensus on CAP, it is worth highlighting that the current state of play is demonstrative of the divergences within and between the agricultural sector and policymakers. There is a misalignment between policies, funding mechanisms and the views of people who manage and work on farms.

On the one hand, we want to support smaller farmers and young people involved in farming, but on the other hand, CAP payments chiefly benefit larger and more industrial farms.

The EU has a plethora of policies on climate action and biodiversity protection, yet the proposals under the CAP do not put sufficient value on the preservation and protection of land. Instead, they build on a legacy of intensive farming and land use illustrating blatant incoherence between the CAP as a fundamental policy instrument and environmental protection. As a result, EU countries are connecting the dots between the increase in intensified farming with the decline in farmland birds and insects. This misalignment could not have been better illustrated than in a report conducted by the European Court of Auditors last year on biodiversity on farmland. The report asked one overarching question, namely, whether the CAP contributed positively to maintaining and enhancing biodiversity. The short answer is “No”. Among its finding, the report highlighted gaps in the design of the EU biodiversity strategy and that most direct payments do not maintain or enhance farmland biodiversity. In fact, according to the scientists, voluntary coupled support may have a negative impact.

Most worryingly, the greening measures of the CAP have had little measurable effect, highlighting that greening has led to changes in farming practices on only about 5% of all EU farmland. This figure proves that we have a long way to go in improving the environmental protection of farmland, yet we hear from various stakeholders and member states that the greening measures of the CAP are too green. Something is awry here. Either there is a flaw in the design of the greening of the CAP or the endorsement of EU farmers is on paper only, with little or no follow through. Either way, it has led to discontent among farmers and environmentalists alike.

We are at a point in time when people are questioning, not only value of money when it comes to CAP payments, but also whether funds are appropriately used for both the equitable production of food and the preservation of our environment. In this House, we often talk about supporting the smaller farmer in ensuring the lifeblood of rural Ireland. The next CAP provides the opportunity to put those words into action. Let us ensure a more equitable distribution of funding throughout farms and reward the protection of our natural environment, instead of continuing to incentivise the intensification of land use and food production at the costs of water and air quality, biodiversity and our international climate commitments.

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