Environmental conditionality: A risky trade-off

One theme identified by the European Commission in the Vision is the need to “cut red tape and simplify the current environmental conditionality system”, aiming to make environmental regulations more efficient and less burdensome. Although this approach may give farmers greater freedom to adapt their practices, this does not ensure that these practices will be sustainable. 

Livestock farming: The missing commitment to reduction

Moreover, the Vision repeatedly mentions the need to strengthen the competitiveness and resilience of sensitive sectors such as livestock, stating that livestock is an essential part of EU agriculture. We as youth acknowledge the need to make vulnerable sectors such as livestock farming more resilient to ensure that no individual is left behind as part of a just transition. However, this perspective disregards the ever-growing body of scientific evidence highlighting the negative environmental impacts of livestock farming, as acknowledged at COP28 for the first time at the international level, as well as the potential for Europe to become a world leader in alternative proteins as an increasing proportion of individuals switch to more plant-based diets. Although the vision mentions a “new workstream on livestock” which provides an opportunity to create a framework that mediates consumer demand for meat products with the EU’s climate commitments, there remains no commitment to reduce livestock farming in Europe, even though direct livestock emissions account for two thirds of all reported agricultural GHG emissions.

Sustainability and Agroecology: Gaps in the Vision

Furthermore, the Vision itself provides a vague roadmap in terms of concrete steps the Commission have identified to create a more nature-friendly farming system. Within the document, there are no explicit strategic directions mentioned towards a more sustainable agriculture direction with agroecology as a practice that attracts young farmers, only mentioned once. Linked to this, there remains a strong emphasis on CAP within the Vision, however, CAP reforms are unlikely to be sufficient to address the scale of change needed. Plus, there was no mention of ending area-based payments, which are often not results-based and favour large landowners, putting a disadvantage on smaller farms, which may potentially achieve better environmental outcomes. For the Vision to create tangible impacts, it is crucial that the Commission targets the underlying factors that make it difficult for farmers to successfully implement environmentally friendly practices and incentivise practices that lead to actual benefits for nature, as opposed to payments for generic practices. 

Failing to attract young people to agriculture

Specifically, as youth, we welcome the Commission’s use of dialogue to ensure that the Vision is inclusive. However, the vision lacks measures on how to attract young people into the agricultural sector. With only 12% of all farms in the EU being managed by farmers under 40, it is crucial that any Vision for the agricultural sector targets the ageing population of Europe’s farmers and effectively attracts young people into the agricultural sector. 

Regional decentralisation and the right to stay

The Vision acknowledges and reiterates the “right to stay” in remote regions, yet it fails to quantify or plan research about the desirable approximate population target by region. This can be assigned to member states to come up with certain national decentralisation plans to assess the needs for reinhabiting remote areas, considering each region’s biocapacity and particularities. 

Contradictions with the Mercosur Deal

Another conflictual point is the reference of the Vision to fostering locally sourced and seasonal food, matched with shortening supply chains for fairer farmers’ income. Although this ambition is in the right direction from a societal perspective of justice, it is concerning how it clashes with the Mercosur Deal. When it comes to agricultural affairs of the Deal, it foresees an extra 99.000 tonnes of imported beef to the EU with reduced or no tariffs, which can put European smallholder farms at stake, and jeopardise forest areas in Latin America. Besides this, there is well-established scientific evidence that animal farming is a major driver of climate change and its impacts. This is owed to the fact that animal farming contributes more than 50% of the total methane emissions in the EU, whilst significant landmass and water use are required for livestock breeding, compared to alternative sources of protein production. In light of this current reality, not everyone is equally responsible. In fact, according to Eurostat findings, smallholders (that is, farm properties smaller than 5 hectares) represent 40% of the total holdings, equivalent to just 6% of the total agricultural land. On the other hand, 52% of the agricultural land is controlled by large farms (i.e., properties equal or greater than 100 hectares), representing only 4% of the farming population. Having all that in mind, the Mercosur Deal contradicts the Vision both from a societal and environmental standpoint: it compromises smallholders both in the Mercosur and the EU blocs, ultimately disregarding the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP) which mentions that “States shall formulate […] public policies […] to advance […] sustainable and equitable food systems” and shifts part of the environmental and climate footprint -associated with cattle farming- to Mercosur, without essentially reducing the net volume of red meat production.    

Non-Formal Education: A catalyst for change

As young people, we benefit from lifelong learning and non-formal education opportunities through the EU-funded Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps (ESC) programs. We believe that these programs besides their contribution to the development of soft and transversal skills for youth, are also vital for promoting practical training and sector-specific hard skills, getting to know how food grows, which factors foster or impede a successful yield, as well as its nutritional value in an age where a growing number of young people loses touch with these natural processes, and concurrently health-related issues due to poor nutrition are on the rise. These programs can also act as ambassadors of EU policymaking, since they often raise awareness about EU legislation, via non-formal education and interactive approaches. Therefore, it is pivotal that young people get the chance to receive lived experiences on sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices through these programs. Lived experiences through engaging non-formal education programs can foster a transformative change and spark young people’s interest and curiosity in agriculture-related occupations, enabling a multidimensional set of solutions for the revitalisation of EU rural landscapes, with ecologically and socially innovative ventures that strengthen the EU’s food sovereignty and uplift employability. 

Way forward: Strengthening competences and financial support

The European Commission has already published several competence frameworks (e.g., GreenComp and LifeComp), showcasing that we are heading towards a world where competences are gaining more prominence, alongside the traditional formal educational credentials. Non-formal education is critical for the promotion of these competences, and, in our case, competences related to the agricultural sector. The consultation on the post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) of the EU is underway. In line with the trends in budgetary increases between the MFF of 2014-2020 and 2021-2027 in the budget share for Erasmus+ and ESC projects, the EU needs to push forward for a further increase that covers both the current inflationary reality and the increased need for skills development that is targeted, accessible, and inclusive for everyone. Delving deeper, the Erasmus+ and ESC 2025 Programme Guides already refer more precisely to promoting chemical-free agriculture projects as enablers of rural revival, confirming what is already outlined in this statement. We hail this trajectory and look forward to its establishment, integrating a more diverse palette of projects, ranging from regenerative agriculture to agroforestry. These programs can further advance the Vision, not only by engaging youth but also by integrating nature-based solutions into agricultural practices.