Hour of reckoning for EU's Common Agricultural Policy?
By VEENA ZACHARIAS “We want to be free to respond to the market and do what we do best. Grow food,” says founder of Farm Crisis Network and farmer Christopher Jones. Like Mr. Jones, most British farmers are of the opinion that the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has outlived its usefulness and the need of the hour is to do away with market distorting policies and resolve the rising food prices. According to its critics, CAP has created tension in the EU’s relations with trading partners and is against the interests of developing countries. The UK government and environmentalists say it inflicts substantial costs on consumers and taxpayers but is inefficient in delivering support to farmers. Added to that, it still has a negative impact on the environment, in their opinion. While its supporters say that CAP has played a major role in developing and maintaining an energetic farming sector across the EU, preserving and enhancing Europe's unique rural heritage and the visual appeal of its beautiful landscapes, ensuring environment and animal welfare, providing abundant supplies of high quality food to the European people and bolstering a multi-billion euro agri-food industry. The verdict isn't quite out on CAP yet. |
