A sustainable agriculture ” “

The plenary assembly of the Commission of the episcopates of the European Community (COMECE), meeting in Brussels on 28 and 29 November, drafted a declaration on the reform of the common agricultural policy (CAP) which follows up a similar document in March 2001. We give a brief summary of it below. In the view of the European bishops, “the reform of the common agricultural policy is essential to permit the sustainable development of Europe”. According to COMECE, EU enlargement imposes the need for a thorough reform of an agricultural policy which is still characterized by many inequalities: it’s enough to point out – write the bishops – that 5% of European farms now receive half of all direct aid. To achieve the objective of a balanced reform, a new alliance between farmers and consumers is needed. “We are called – say the European bishops – to acquire a clearer awareness of the ecological consequences of our choices as consumers”. So agricultural development and policy have a need for a “fundamental ethical impulse” based on the social doctrine of the church. As regards international trade, the bishops note that “the complete abolition as soon as possible of export subsidies is a question of the EU’s political credibility” and is a necessary measure “from an ethical point of view” with a view to not further penalizing the world’s poorest countries. But that in itself is not a sufficient measure because – emphasizes the document – “the abolition of export subsidies and the opening up of European markets do not automatically guarantee a better life for poor peasants in the developing countries”. These measures need to be integrated with “cooperative structures and alternative distribution systems”. As regards the proposed reforms of the CAP, presented by the European Commission on 10 July 2002, the declaration points out that “the opinions of Christians are divided”. Nonetheless, “it’s clear that the objective of a sustainable development cannot be achieved today without public support”, since “sustainable agriculture will not be profitable for farms until consumers are willing to pay the higher prices” resulting from a more respectful way of cultivating the land, farming animals and “maintaining the soil, the air and the water clean”. COMECE concludes by welcoming the decisions taken by the European Council in Brussels on 24 and 25 October: “The surprising decision in favour of the progressive introduction of direct aid to current members of the Union in the membership negotiations is – says the declaration – a great source of satisfaction for us”. Thanks to this decision, in fact, the ten new member countries will progressively participate in the EU system of direct aid to farms.