Press Release. Agroforestry - key for EU's agriculture & food vision
Brussels, 10 December 2024 – On the occasion of the EU Agri-Food days organised today in Brussels, EURAF welcomed the words of the new EU Commissioner in charge of Agriculture, Christophe Hansen, who announced the Vision for Agriculture and Food as a roadmap aimed at enhancing the resilience of farms and sustainable farming in Europe. “We need to bring innovation and adaptation to the ground, to the fields […] for a better future and a healthy environment for the next generations”, said Hansen.
Following the publication of the Strategic Dialogue on the future of EU agriculture in September – and ahead of the launch of the forthcoming Vision for Agriculture and Food (to be published on the 19th of February) – EURAF has today published a document titled Agricultural trees for resilient landscapes: a vision for European agroforestry, that explains the science and practice of agroforestry, the views of the hundreds of members of the Federation from 25 European countries, as well as concrete recommendations for Commissioner Hansen when developing the above-mentioned Vision.
- Author: M. Bertomeu. Goats of the local Guadarrama bred grazing in a stone pine forests in Valdemaqueda, Madrid.
More pictures of European agroforestry here.
Bohdan Lojka, President of EURAF, said:
“The current framework of the Common Agricultural Policy is a game-changer for European agroforestry. All EU Member States now have a definition for agroforestry – providing legal certainty to land managers, land owners, authorities or investors”. Still, the wider adoption of agroforestry is limited and may be accelerated through better-tailored financial incentives, improved tools to quantify the impact of agroforestry systems, as well as better future alignment with EU/international policy instruments.
Maureen Kilgore, EURAF Vice President, said:
Agricultural productivity and ecosystem services are under threat in front of ever-intensifying climate shocks. “Several EU Member States have implemented targeted support measures in the current CAP which play a key role in strengthening the resilience of European landscapes. These measures and the lessons learnt so far could help us and policymakers alike in the discussions on the post-2027 CAP – and EURAF is eager to contribute to a constructive discussion in this regard”.
From a longer-term perspective, EURAF recognises the role of farmers and farm families as partners in delivering the future Vision for Agriculture and Food, including the establishment of trees on farms to support their farm enterprises and deliver multiple ecosystem services. “There is a need for education, training and adequate agricultural support payments to ensure a just transition and long management of trees on farms”, noted Maureen Kilgore.
Manuel Bertoumeu, EURAF Secretary, said:
“Through an internal consultation, we developed science-based policy recommendations that should drive policy discussions in the coming 5-10 years”. Climate catastrophes from across Europe, such as recent flooding in Spain, are a clear indication that stronger policies to foster nature-based solutions that mitigate dangerous climate risks are necessary. “Preventive actions are urgently needed across vulnerable landscapes, all across Europe – not only in the Mediterranean region. Resilient agroforestry systems from the Iberian peninsula show how trees on farms are there to help several generations of farmers, caring for their land, livestock and the planet”, concluded Manuel Bertomeu.
Strong commitment to dialogue
EURAF and its membership reaffirmed their commitment to continuing a fruitful dialogue with EU and Member States authorities. While the Strategic Dialogue Report acknowledged the role of agroforestry alongside other sustainable agriculture practices, “we hope that the future EU Vision for Agriculture and Food will not omit the key role of trees on agricultural landscapes and their relevance for achieving EU’s climate neutrality and nature restoration targets”, complemented Gerry Lawson, EURAF Policy Officer.
“We reiterate our call on the European Commission and Member States to push for an emergency, large-scale agroforestration programme starting in 2025”, concluded Bohdan Lojka.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- Agricultural trees for resilient landscapes: a vision for European agroforestry – link.
- More about benefits of agroforestry – link.
- More about EURAF and our work – link.
- Pictures of European agroforestry – link.
For more information and media requests: Rūta Žulpaitė, EURAF Advocacy Officer – press (at) euraf.net
