An Unavoidable Step after Paris: Cutting Emissions from Farming

Background

While agriculture accounts for around 10% of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions and is among the first sectors to bear the costs of disastrous climatic events, it is also perceived as a sector with limited mitigation potential in the current debate and very little has been asked of the farming sector regarding climate change mitigation. While the EU’s climate legislation is currently under co-decision, the debate about the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has only just begun, with a communication by the European Commission on the CAP post 2020 having been published in November 2017. Since the CAP uses a large part of the European budget and has shaped farming practices over Europe for the past decades, it can also play a crucial role in facilitating the transition towards a more sustainable and climate friendly farming sector. However, this will only be possible if the next CAP is inclusively debated with the farming community, is mindful of the environment, consumers, health issues etc. based on evidence, and is properly aligned with the European climate legislation and other policy objectives of common interest.