The meeting was opened by MEP Alexander Bernhuber who said: “At our June Intergroup meeting we had several scientists answering the question, ‘What would be lose with a drastic drop in livestock?’, and today we will hear from experts in the field. I’m very much looking forward to hearing their views on what they need for a sustainable future.
MEP Bernhuber also informed participants that the new Director General of DG AGRI, Elisabeth Werner would be joining the meeting later that morning, a privilege for the group as it is her first intervention in her new role.
Co-chairing MEPs Cassart and Grapini joined Bernhuber in welcoming the farmers to the European Parliament. Cassart reflected on the uniqueness of the European faming model, very different to other farms around the world. He said it is important that the Commission develops a strategy for the future of the sector which meets the different specificities of different farming systems. Grapini added that is very important that policymakers listen to farmers directly, as there is so much we don’t know, and we need to ensure all different kinds of farms get support – There is no one-size fits all solution.
Five farmers from Austria, Spain, Belgium and Germany representing the beef, dairy, pig, poultry and sheep sectors shared their personal stories of the challenges faced by their specific sectors, and their main asks to ensure they have a sustainable future.
Caroline Van Der Heyden, a dairy farmer from Belgium talked of challenges with diseases, trade tensions, political pressure to reduce emissions, and said there is a need to unblock the hurdles to use RENURE. She called for more competitiveness for the dairy sector, digitalisation, and legal certainty to ensure generational renewal.
Miguel Angel Higuera, a veterinarian and head of the Spanish pig producers association spoke of the sector-initiated Welfarmers project to identify best practices for animal welfare. He called for more investment in disease prevention and asked decision-makers to ensure EU regulations do not block farmers’ ability to invest in their future.
Jonas Friess, a poultry farmer from Germany called for more stability as constantly changing rules and guidelines make for an uncertain future. He also asked for decision-makers to consider economic and social aspects of farming, not just animal welfare and environmental impacts.
Spanish Vet and sheep farmer Raul Muniz called for better recognition of the sheep and goat sectors as cornerstones of EU rural communities and economies. He said sheep and goat farming is a difficult job but it’s one of the most sustainable in terms of production.
Austrian beef producer Werner Habermann said that for farmers to survive they need greater transparency, less bureaucracy, and a political framework that is adapted to strengthen the farmer’s position in the market.
In her first intervention in her new role, Elisabeth Werner Director General of DG AGRI at the European Commission Ms. Werner highlighted the important role of livestock and the need to ensure a sustainable future for the sector. She reiterated the line from the Vision for Agriculture and Food, “Livestock is and will remain an essential part of EU agriculture, competitiveness and cohesion.”
Echoing earlier remarks from the MEPs she spoke of Europe’s diversity of farms as being central to a sustainable future. “The diversity is what makes Europe special, so there is no one-size-fits-all solution. We need targeted solutions adapted for each sector and region.” She also spoke of the Livestock Workstream saying it aims to develop a shared diagnostic of the different sectors’ needs, to review what policy measures we have in the EU, and to discuss if they are sufficient to support further innovation in the sectors.
The European Board on Agriculture and Food, a new expert group established by the European Commission, will play a central role on guiding the future for agriculture in Europe.
The future of livestock is not just an agricultural issue, so it deserves to be addressed in depth, considering all the sector’s externalities.
The inaugural meeting of the Intergroup opened with a discussion on a hot topic.
