LibGuides: CoR Plenary (December 2021): EU action plan for organic farming

EU action plan for organic farming

CAP strategic plans: Issues and expectations for EU agriculture
The European Commission's legislative proposals for the reform of the common agricultural policy (CAP) were published in June 2018. Since then a number of significant developments have occurred in this policy area. These include the adoption of the European Green Deal and its associated initiatives of the 'farm to fork' strategy and the biodiversity strategy, and also the agreement on the 2021 2027 multiannual financial framework (MFF) alongside additional support of €7.5 billion for rural development from the Next Generation EU initiative as part of the recovery and resilience package.
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EP Briefing - May 2021
Farming without plant protection products
Plant Protection Products (PPPs) are often perceived by consumers as very harmful for human health and for the environment. The tendency in the EU policy is to stimulate the reduction of PPPs. Can we maintain high yield with less PPPs? This paper presents the current state of the art regarding the role of PPPs in securing global food production, preserving biodiversity and supporting farmer’s income. The role of various stakeholders on the current perception of risk by the general public is given and promising alternative and more sustainable strategies to further reduce PPP use. This report is meant as a background document to support the debate that will take place during the workshop ‘Farming without plant protection products?’, 6 March 2019, which contrasts the contents of this report with perspectives from conventional agriculture, the stance of organic farmers and the viewpoint of consumers.
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EP - In-depth analysis - March 2019
The EU 'farm to fork' strategy
On 20 May 2020, the European Commission adopted a communication on 'A farm to fork strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food system'. Following lively parliamentary debate, informed by Members' different views on how to build sustainable food systems, a joint committee own-initiative report on the strategy is scheduled for a plenary vote during the October II session.
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EP - At a glance - Oct 2021
Meeting the Green Deal objectives by alignment of technology and behaviour
This study explores the prospects of aligning citizens' behaviour with the objectives of the European Green Deal in the domains of food consumption and mobility. Creating a climate-neutral and resource-efficient European economy requires a deep transformation of energy, mobility and food systems, as well as a change in production and consumption practices. Such profound change will impact both individuals and society. At the same time, the transition to sustainability will not succeed if people do not support it by adapting their behaviour and consumption patterns. This would imply change towards 'sustainable behaviour'. The study explores options for such sustainable behaviour, with a focus on mobility and food consumption.
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EP Study - July 2021
The future of crop protection in Europe
The overall objective of the future of crop protection project is to present an overview of crop protection options for European farmers to enable them to work sustainably while securing food production, preserving biodiversity and supporting farmers' incomes. The policy options proposed are based on an assessment of current and emerging crop protection practices and their impact on the common agricultural policy (CAP) objectives. This overview shows that several crop protection practices are under continuous development and have potential to improve future crop protection in Europe.
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EP Study - Feb 2021
IFOAM Organics Europe
IFOAM Organics Europe is the European umbrella organisation for organic food and farming. They represent organic in European policymaking and advocate for a transformation of food and farming. Their work is based on the principles of organic agriculture – health, ecology, fairness and care. With almost 200 members in 34 European countries, their work spans the entire organic food chain.

Organic Farming and Market Development in Europe and the European Union
This article focuses on organic farming and market statistics in Europe. In 2017, the development of the organic sector in Europe was characterized by two trends. On the one hand, the market showed a double-digit growth rate again (10.5 percent in Europe; 10.9 percent in the European Union). On the other hand, organic farmland growth continued to be slower than that of the market, but it was considerably faster than in the first years of the previous decade, increasing by 7.9 percent in Europe and 6.4 percent in the European Union.

HELGA WILLER, DIANA SCHAACK, and JULIA LERNOUD, FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International (2019): The World of Organic Agriculture
Trends and challenges in organic farming in the European Union
Organic agriculture is a production and management system which takes into account the biodiversity, biological cycles, and increased biological activity of soil. Water balance in soil is one of the key factors in organic farming. Currently, organic farming is globally becoming more and more important because of people´s environmental and health concerns. Economic reasons are the strongest motivators of farmers for converting from conventional to organic production, however; the savings coming from lower farming costs. In the European Union (EU), the organic farming area is increasing by about 500,000 ha per year representing now about 6.2% of the total agricultural area. The variation in different countries is high inside EU due to various factors.

Dayoub, M. and Korpela T., TInternational Journal of Agricultural Technology 2019 Vol. 15(4): 527-538
Co-Financing of Organic Farming in the EU: Necessity or Fantasy?
The purpose of the work is to analyse and assess the situation of organic farming in the EU, as well as the support system that is targeted at this type of activity. Design/Methodology/Approach: Organic farming has shown dynamic growth and development in the last two decades, especially in economically developed countries. The study concerns sources of support for the development of organic farming in EU countries. An analytical and descriptive method based on Eurostat Faostat, Polish FADN, Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Poland, as well as official documents and reports were used. The development of the number and area of organic farms was analysed, and mechanisms of financing ecological activity on farms were discussed.

Agnieszka Brelik, Barbara Gołębiewska, Justyna Franc-Dąbrowska, European Research Studies Journal, Volume XXIII, Issue 4, 2020