Dithering on the Edge of Europe
Dithering on the Edge of Europe

S2: European Union - Green Deal Part 2/3

October 5, 2020

AI Summary

5 min read

Sustainable Agriculture in the EU Green Deal: From Post-War Policy to Climate-Neutral Farming

The European Union's Green Deal aims to make Europe the world's first climate-neutral bloc by 2050, and sustainable agriculture is one of its three pillars alongside sustainable industry and eliminating pollution. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), originally designed for the post-war era of the 1960s, has faced decades of criticism for prioritizing production over environmental concerns. The Green Deal now attempts to retrofit sustainability onto this longstanding framework by weaving together three dimensions: social sustainability, economic sustainability, and environmental sustainability.

The Farm to Fork Connection

The sustainable agriculture component of the Green Deal doesn't stand alone. It connects directly to other strategies covered in the previous episode—the farm-to-fork strategy, the biodiversity strategy, the forestry strategy, and the zero-pollution action plan. The core ambition is to transform production methods and land management to reduce pesticides and fertilizers while making best use of nature-based solutions alongside digital and technological innovations.

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:10) **Episode Introduction** - Rich and Carola set up the episode as part 2 of 3 on the EU Green Deal, covering sustainable agriculture, sustainable industry, and eliminating pollution.
  • 2 (01:50) **Sustainable Agriculture: Overview and Context** - The hosts introduce the EU's sustainable agriculture policy, noting its roots in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and its three pillars: social, economic, and environmental sustainability.
  • 3 (04:33) **Transforming Production and the Competitiveness Debate** - Discussion of reducing pesticides/fertilizers and using nature-based and digital solutions, with a critique of the "competitiveness" framing.
  • 4 (09:34) **Communication and Consumer Education** - The EU funds information campaigns to educate consumers about sustainable agriculture, including TV features, farm visits, and apps.
  • 5 (13:50) **Fostering Resilient Rural Communities** - The EU uses funds like the ERDF, ESF, and European Maritime and Fisheries Fund to support rural development, social inclusion, and job creation.
  • 6 (16:05) **The Aging Farmer Crisis and Young Farmer Support** - Statistics show only 11% of farm managers are under 40, with the largest group over 65, threatening food security.
  • 7 (19:10) **Knowledge, Innovation, and Digital Agriculture** - The EU funds pilot projects like "smart eco-social villages" and promotes digital agriculture, though the hosts are skeptical.

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Show Notes

Union’s Green Deal was announced by Ursula von der Leyen back in 2019 and voted in by the European Parliament in January of this year. In this second of three (or will it be four?) episodes, Rich and  Carola explore EU's Sustainable Agriculture, they explore policies in this area and what exactly is digital agriculture?

This was a very long episodes, so we cut it in two. This one covering only Sustainable Agriculture, leaving Sustainable Industry, and another long discussion on cement and steel, for the next episode. 
 
This deal covers 9 policy areas, and in E32, Carola and Rich covered the areas of 
·       Clean Energy 
·       Farm to Fork
·       Biodiversity
 
In this episode we will cover 
·       Sustainable Agriculture

And in the next episodes we will cover
·       Sustainable Industry
·       Eliminating Pollution
·       Building and Renovation
·       Sustainable mobility
·       Climate action
 

Key Resources 


 
 
Further Links






Images referred to 

    Dithering on the Edge of Europe

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