The Common Agriculture Policy as Partnership between the Government and the Farmers - Essay Example

The Common Agriculture Policy Summary The Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) is a partnership between the political governments in the European Union and farmers. Since its renewal in two thousand and thirteen, the policy provides a link between strategic farming sector and the urbanized world both on a constant increasing trajectory. The partnership between the government and the farmers qualifies into the historical trends of issues found at the top level of European Union policy. Among the various purposes of the Common Agriculture Policy, are production of sustainable food, protection of the environment to enhance food production, sustaining the rural folklore, as well as managing the welfare of animals. The new partnership redefines the relationship and rejuvenates the confidence existing between citizens and farmers in Europe and the entire farming sector. Framing relates directly with problems faced by members of the society. First, it appears between challenges in food production. Table of Contents Summary 2 Table of Contents 3 Introduction 3 Results 4 Discussion 5 Innovation and Productivity 7 Modernization 8 Lack of a Fair Deal for Farmers 9 Conclusion 9 Bibliography 11 Introduction Natural resources also come into direct contact with farming. Framing processes ought to use natural resources in a responsible way putting respect between the two into perspective. It is important for farming activities to consider the needs of future generations. Rural areas as well as the urge to maintain the liveliness of the farming sector in rural areas poses another challenge to the farming sector. This fact relies at the core of the heritage, rural economies, and roots of the citizens of Europe. Since Europe needs the farmers, it has the responsibility of providing support to the same farmers to enhance a symbiotic relationship. Specific income support that aims at particular farmers constitutes one of the forms of support that the European Union needs to offer. This will help farmers to adjust accordingly and attain the needs of every farming sector considerable the vulnerable ones among many more. To facilitate environmental and economic competitiveness, the policy recommends increase in the use of instruments in farming practices. The Union should offer incentives to farmers to help them adopt farming methods that remain sustainable. The support offered by the European Union to farmers through the new partnership manifest the urge to inject life into the rural areas by giving enhanced resources to the young population engaged in farming. Prospects remain high with enhanced research, transfer of skills, and innovation. This is besides increasing investments in both public and private structures. The policy lays a hitherto foundation over the next years to counter challenges from the international and climatic perspectives. This crucial to meeting the food needs of the masses. The Common Agriculture Policy revolves around food for people as well as the future needs for more than half of the land acreage in the European Union zone. Results Since its inception in nineteen sixty-two, the Common Agriculture Policy focuses on many areas including enhancing agricultural productivity that aims at stabilizing the production and supply of food to all people but at affordable prices. The other area covers taking care of the income of farmers in Europe for them to generate a reasonable living out of farming activities. A population of more than five hundred million people in Europe requires a steady and sustainable source of food. The food must be affordable in addition to being nutritious. This is bearing in mind the unpredictability of the environment and economic conditions. In addition, challenges exist in both the present and future situations among them financial crises, global competition, economic imbalances, and increasing costs of inputs such as fertilizer and fuel, as well as climatic changes. The renewed Common Agriculture Policy exists to address these challenges. The policy prescribes conditions that give room to farmers in Europe to attain their numerous functions in the zone. First being production of food. Confidently, it is acceptable to secure the Europe enjoys food security courtesy of the Common Agriculture Policy. Framers in the European Union continue to produce enough food for the populace. Variety is a surety, affordability is unquestionable, abundance is normal, besides quality and safety that remain beyond reproach. The role of the Common Agriculture Policy is responsible for the fame enjoyed by Europe across the world for the culinary and food traditions. The European Union has the capacity to take a leading role in ensuring food security in around the globe. Discussion Farming and its practices go beyond food production and supply. It covers people in the rural areas in addition to the communities. This aspect covers the important natural resources and the entire countryside. Farmers in the whole of Europe take the responsibility of marinating the rural culture and keeping it alive as well. An unstable rural environment spells doom for the urban environment ant its dwellers (Daugbjerg, 1999, p. 416). More than fifty percentile of the jobs in rural areas rely both directly and indirectly to farming and its practices. Apart from the machinery, farmers need fertilizers, fuel, premises, and animal healthcare. The upstream sectors offer many jobs to people while other citizens keep themselves busy inside downstream activities, which entail packaging, processing, and processing. The food storage sector also takes care of another portion of people including transport and retailing. The partnership binds twenty-seven member states of the European Union along with all the fourteen million farmers besides the more than four million others working the farming sector. In addition to the six percent contribution to the gross domestic product, a further seven percent of all jobs come from the farming sector. It is clear that the rural area is not in the original natural condition. Farming and farming activities continue to shape the state of the countryside spanning over several years. The modern varied state and diverse environment is a product of farming. The rural area is responsible of the beautiful flora and fauna that people enjoy. Everybody enjoys the benefit of farmers managing the countryside. The most important roles played by farmers are maintaining biodiversity, taking good care of soils, as well as maintaining the landscapes. Governments understand that it is difficult for the market to compensate farmers for these services. This explains why the European Union provides support to farmers in form of income (Landau, 1998, p. 467). When farmers appear on the extreme end of climate change, the Common Agriculture Policy takes the initiative to compensate them. Through this, farmers can adjust their methods as well as infrastructures to handle the adverse effects of the changes in climate. By the fact that farmers rely on natural resources for their day-to-day activities, makes them the first bunch of citizens who understand the value of taking of the same resources. The European Union through the Common Agriculture Policy offers incentives to farmers to motivate them towards enhancing a sustainable environment. This goes miles far in fighting the negative influences of particular farming exercises. Innovation and Productivity The Common Agriculture Policy plays a crucial role of driving innovation and productivity. By being more creative, farmers hone their technical skills applicable in farming practices. During its inception, the policy undertook the initiative of encouraging farmers to use new techniques and applying modern machinery including use of fertilizers besides plat protection products. Growing more food for citizens was the priority at that time making the entire exercise a necessity. Changes in areas of emphasis came with surplus production of food. Farming practices that strive to minimize the emission of greenhouse gases currently remain at the top of the priority list. Applications of methods that sustain eco-friendly initiatives are also important besides attaining environmental welfare levels, public health, as well as animal welfare standards. The renewed Common Agriculture Policy encourages production and promotion of food specialties in the European Union zone, increased productive use of woodland and forests, and creation of new uses of products from the farm among many sectors such as medicine, cosmetics, and handicrafts. Among other uses, the European Union funds facilitate farming methods that take care of future challenges apart from those easing the pressure applied on natural resources and those that respond to influences of changes in climate. The sector expects farmers to produce more using fewer resources in the future. Attainment of this status is possible through innovation partnerships (EC Commission, 1997, p. 77). Furthermore, the Common Agriculture Policy bridges the gap between farming practices and research in a manner that enhances cooperation and communication within stakeholders. A group that makes up the stakeholders is advisors, farmers, the government agencies, scientists, and agro-business as well. Modernization At the top of Common Agriculture Policy, objective list is modernization, a feature that started with the established of the agreement. Framers across Europe continue to benefit in various ways including receiving grants that are essential in the process of purchasing machinery and revamping structures. Other farmers use the grants to improve the quality of farm products such as conditions of production and rearing of livestock. The challenge tackled by the Common Agriculture Policy is making sure that modernization helps farmers remain competitive economically through application of techniques that facilitate the sustainability of the environment. The rural development schedule under the renewed policy remains an important driver of progress and change. The renewed Common Agriculture Policy exists to address these challenges. The policy prescribes conditions that give room to farmers in Europe to attain their numerous functions in the zone. First being production of food. Confidently, it is acceptable to secure the Europe enjoys food security courtesy of the Common Agriculture Policy. Framers in the European Union continue to produce enough food for the populace. Variety is a surety, affordability is unquestionable, abundance is normal, besides quality and safety that remain beyond reproach. The role of the Common Agriculture Policy is responsible for the fame enjoyed by Europe across the world for the culinary and food traditions. Farmers will continue enjoying opportunities to improve their lands and the environment. Over the next seven years after renewal, The Common Agriculture Policy aims at having more competitive and effective farmers across Europe. Advisory programs and other training measures constitute other ways and measures undertaken by the European Union to hall farmers besides issuing loans and grants. Lack of a Fair Deal for Farmers Most farmers in Europe carry out their farming practices on small scale. Twelve hectares is the average land for most farmers. Seventy percent of farms make up below five hectares of land size. The smaller size of farms farmers means lower the chances of accessing the most appropriate market prices for products. It is easy to fail to reward their efforts and enhancements of quality that adds value to the farm produce. Apart from helping farmers improve their bargaining power, the Common Agriculture Policy balances the position of farmers along with other players in the food sector (Coleman, & Tangermann, 1999, p. 401). Farmers receive help in this perspective by encouraging them to form producer organizations and cooperatives. This initiative helps farmers to form groups to sell their produce as one team. This improves their bargaining power as they exert a lot of power to the market. In addition, these groups increase the advantage that farmers enjoy in the market because it increases their competitiveness. The European Union encourages farmers across Europe to engage in specialized means of production including organic farming. Farmers ought to remain in contractual relationships in the entire food chain. Farmers also need to use their income to create insurance schemes and mutual funds so that they can respond to market instability in a better way. Effective application of modern information, marketing gadgets, and proper management of risks increase the level awareness of farmers and their bargaining power in food production sector. Conclusion Throughout its existence, the Common Agriculture Policy helps farmers face new challenges and the mission for the renewed policy remains the same. It is important according to the policy for farmers to produce adequate food containing high quality consumers around Europe. The foods are meat, cereals, vegetables, fruit, and dairy as well as wine products. This capacity will continue to help European farmers contribute to a multi-sectoral rural economy through application of safe standards to animals and the environment. Significant in this century is to help farmers make appropriate decisions concerning food by using European Union quality-labeling schemes that remain voluntary throughout (Ackrill, 2005, p. 467). The labels indicate the geographical origin of products and ways of using ingredients both organic and traditional methods. This is the best method of making farm products from the European Union zone competitive in the world market. Quality and sustainability as held by the Common Agriculture Policy comes via promotion of innovations within food and farming processes. Among other uses, the European Union funds facilitate farming methods that take care of future challenges apart from those easing the pressure applied on natural resources and those that respond to influences of changes in climate. The sector expects farmers to produce more using fewer resources in the future. Attainment of this status is possible through innovation partnerships. Research projects funded by the European Union drive this important undertaking. Investments in this section minimize environmental influences besides enhancing productivity. Using waste products in the production of energy is a good example of efforts in this section. Important aspects of this success are diversity, quality guarantees, engaging in organic products, marketing levels, ethical assurances, and hygiene standards. Bibliography Ackrill, R.W. (2005). Common Agricultural Policy. In: P. van der Hoek, ed., Handbook of Public Administration and Policy in the European Union. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 435-487. Coleman, D. & Tangermann, S. (1999). The 1992 CAP Reform, the Uruguay Round and the Commission, Journal of Common Market Studies, 37/3, 385-405. Daugbjerg, C. (1999). Reforming the CAP: Policy Networks and Broader Institutional Structures, Journal of Common Market Studies, 37/3, 407-428. EC Commission, (1997). Towards a Common Agricultural and Rural Policy for Europe. (aka ‘The Buckwell Report’). European Economy Reports and Studies No. 5. Brussels: European Commission Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs. Landau, A. (1998). Bargaining over Power and Policy: The CAP Reform and Agricultural Negotiations in the Uruguay Round, International Negotiation, 3/3, 453-479. Read More