The Federation of Swedish Farmers publish their position on the future of the CAP

Alterra publish report on the territorial distribution of CAP payments in the Netherlands and present and future policy targets.

New report published on organic food production in southern Brazil.

New report presents a project in agriculture in Tigray, northern Ethiopia.

Taking into account the new demands the sector has to meet in today’s competitive and globalised world, and the imminent debate regarding the financial outlook for 2014-2020, within a possibly restrictive budget scenario, the time has come to discuss the future Common Agricultural Policy beyond 2013.

This policy brief argues that European Agriculture will face significant challenges over the coming decades. Issues like the effects of climate change, the management of natural resources, and the constant battle to keep our food safe are altering the debate significantly. A broad vision will be needed to incorporate these different challenges into the Common Agricultural Policy and match them up with the most appropriate policies.

Current WTO agreements offer the EU some ability to intervene in agricultural markets and subsidise exports without running foul of the trade rules. Should the WTO’s Doha-round of negotiations, now it its eighth year, be concluded, however, the EU’s ability to intervene may be significantly reduced.

This Food Policy Report presents research results that quantify the impacts of climate-change, assesses the consequences for food security, and estimates the investments that would offset the negative consequences for human well-being.

BirdLife recently participated in a panel discussion at an event organised by Deutsche Bank on global food security. According to BirdLife's analysis the main issues relate to poverty alleviation, global social justice, and environmental sustainability, and have potential implications for the CAP.

Recent volatility in food prices and financial markets has had short-term impacts on food security but also made the long-term food-related challenges more obvious. In the report 'The Global Food Equation', Deutsche Bank Research examines these challenges and the development of their driving forces in a broader context.

In this article, Valentin Zahrnt argues that the case for increasing expenditure on rural development schemes, as the Single Farm Payment is phased out, is far from clear. Indeed, some Axis 1 and 3 payments may even be worse in terms of economic and environmental impacts, whilst Axis 2 payments need to be targeted more effectively at the provision of environmental public goods.

In this article, Valentin Zahrnt discusses the role of markets in the context of the CAP reform. The author suggests that although markets are often condemned for their volatility in times of economic crisis, one should not ignore their basic tenet: that state intervention has hidden costs for long-term growth which cannot be fully appreciated individually.

As Member States prepare to submit revised Rural Development Programmes to take account of the Health Check 'new challenges', Finland is developing a grazing measure as part of its strategy to support the dairy sector.

A new paper on reform of the CAP from the the perspective of the organic movement has been published. The report questions the legitimacy of current Pillar 1 expenditure and suggests that a 'European agrarian model' is needed which draws on the principles of organic agriculture.

The Commission's recent Communication on 'intermediate' Less Favoured Areas (LFAs) is intended to increase targeting of payments. This article assesses the implications of the review for Finland, and makes the case for introducing eligibility criteria intended to exclude more intensive farming systems from the aid.