How hard can it be to briefly explain the Common Agricultural Policy in Europe? Well, quite hard, it figures. Beneath the apparent simplicity of the subject lie a vast array of measures, policies and rules.
This video created by the Greens/EFA (Greens/European Free Alliance, one of the European Parliament’s political groups) succeeds in explaining a complex subject in 5 minutes, while also providing an opinion and solutions.
We often hear about the CAP, but it is difficult to understand what is behind this acronym. Yet the subject is universal: how does food production and access work in the European Union?
The video takes a look at the key actions of the CAP: direct income support, market measures and rural development measures. While the original intention is to help farmers and producers, the video also explores the limits of these policies – notably the maximisation of production and its negative consequences on small farmers’ incomes, the economy, biodiversity and productivity.
The system therefore seems perfectible – but how? Greens / EFA offers ways to improve working conditions, to make food more sustainable and to restore more equity.
