CAP workshop Flashcards

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1
Q

CAP general aims

A

Launched in 1962, the EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP) is a partnership between agriculture and society, and between Europe and its farmers. It aims to:

  • support farmers and improve agricultural productivity,
  • ensuring a stable supply of affordable food;
  • safeguard European Union farmers to make a reasonable living;
  • help tackle climate change and the sustainable management of natural resources;
  • maintain rural areas and landscapes across the EU;
  • keep the rural economy alive by promoting jobs in farming, agri-foods industries and associated sectors.
  • CAP responses included milk quotas, free butter for hospitals, etc.

The CAP is a common policy for all EU countries. It is managed and funded at European level from the resources of the EU’s budget.

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2
Q

Origins of CAP

A
  • famine and starvation in Europe in 1940s
  • post war rationing retained in the UK to feed Germany
  • first aim of European agricultural policy was to ensure that this never recurred
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3
Q

CAP the essentials

A
  • will account for nearly 40% of the 2020 EU budget
  • now still overproducing
  • European citizen pay twice for the CAP - through taxes and food prices
  • 2003: uncoupling production and subsidy
  • farm support now linked to environmental protection, food safety, and animal welfare standards
  • however, no real incentive to alter production to meet changing needs
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4
Q

Three main components of CAP

A
°direct whole farm payments
°price guarantees to producers, and 
°use of subsidy to manipulate markets, e.g.
-free butter for hospitals
-subsidised school milk
-school fruit scheme
-purchase of wine for distillation
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5
Q

CAP sugar

A
  • export subsidies have now been removed
  • no direct support to sugar production
  • european sugar prices now governed by world price for sugar
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6
Q

Previous higher internal EU sugar price

A
  • glycaemic load of EU diet has increased by only 8% over last 40+ years
  • it has been be argued that this higher price put a break on increasing prevalence of obesity
  • and may have contributed to protection against type 2 DM
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7
Q

CAP and beef

A
  • massive subsidy (90% income)
  • massive market developed for cheap beef
  • diverts grain production to animal food
  • massive imports of grain and soya from developing countries
  • large quantities of mass produced home-produced and imported beef
  • cheap burgers full of saturated fat and
  • high incidence and death rate from CHD throughout EU
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8
Q

CAP and milk

A
  • dairy fat is the principal cause of high levels of population mean serum LDL cholesterol
  • massive subsidy to producers
  • massive overproduction, of which Commission is required to dispose
  • public encouraged to buy low fat dairy products but
  • residual (saturated) dairy fat used in cakes, pies, pastries, etc.
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9
Q

CAP cereals

A
  • cereals should be a cheap plentiful supply of fibre and micronutrients, while also being low in fat content
  • high subsidy + maintenance if high price
  • cereal production is diverted to support meat factory farming but
  • should provide a cheap basis for a healthy human diet
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10
Q

CAP fruits and vegetables

A
  • no subsidy until recently, but destruction of cheap production to maintain high price
  • but can now be included within whole farm payment scheme
  • considerable under-production in relation to need, thus there is
  • insufficient EU production to support “5 a day” if there were 100% take-up in UK alone
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11
Q

Tobacco

A
  • direct subsidies to farmers ended in 2010

- still be grown within whole farm payments scheme

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12
Q

CAP consequences

A
  • overconsumption of saturated fat-rich beef
  • overconsumption of saturated fat-rich dairy products
  • consumption of saturated fat-rich cakes, pies, pastries
  • underconsumption of fruit, vegetables and cereals
  • underconsumption of vegetable protein products containing healthy fats
  • overconsumption of high tar tobacco (exported to developing countries)
  • high incidence and death rate of CVDs and cancers
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13
Q

CAP reforms in 2005

A
  • uncoupling of production from subsidy
  • from 2005-2007 subsidy: 100% available to farmers who:
  • use land to produce food or other
  • protect the local rural environment
  • maintain standards of food safety, and
  • maintain adequate standard of animal welfare
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14
Q

Cap and mortality

A
  • in EU-15 in 2001, ~48,050 CHD and 17,800 stroke deaths per decade attributable to inadequate fruit and vegetable intake
  • 7% of CHD and 4% of stroke deaths could be prevented if everyone in EU-15 ate recommended levels of fruits/vegetables
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15
Q

EU health strategy 2007-2013 (Together for health)

A
  • shared health values
  • health is wealth
  • health impact assessment (HIA) in all policies
  • health inequalities
  • EU’s global health voice
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16
Q

CAP reforms since 2007

A

SCHOOL MILK REGIME

  • introduction of a flat rate subsidy for all milk
  • extension of the range of products eligible
  • inclusion of secondary schools

FRUIT & VEGETABLE REGIME

  • integration of F&V into single payment scheme
  • promoting consumption: additional funds, limited free distribution
  • EU school fruits scheme launched
17
Q

Further reforms needed

A

Subsidies should be used to promote health and environmental sustainability both in Europe and developing countries by:

  • removal if subsidy from beef, diary and tobacco production (including in whole farm payment subsidies)
  • transfer of subsidy from saturated fat to unsaturated fat products
  • increased use of subsidy to promote fruit and vegetable production and
  • maintenance of subsidy for cereals for human consumption
18
Q

Summary of 2014 reforms

A
  • more equitable distribution of direct payments between MS and between farmers in MS linked to social criteria
  • greening, 30% of direct payments to target crop diversification, ecological focus areas (i.e. organic farming zones), and maintenance of permanent pasture
  • increased focus in rural development on small and medium size farms markets access local and regional systems
  • increased funding to School Fruit Scheme + increased EC contribution
  • School Fruit and School Milk Schemes increased focus and nutrition
19
Q

Environmental problems associated with European farming

A
  • climate change, promoted by GHG emissions, especially methane and nitrous oxide
  • loss of biodiversity, both agricultural and marine
  • erosion, soil loss and soil fertility
  • salination of water tables
  • eutrification of streams and rivers
  • unsustainable use of available water supplies
  • excessive reliance on fossil fuel-based energy, including for transport