Dismantling environmental rules will hinder, not help farmers: Invest in their resilience

The document opposes the European Commission's simplification packages for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and other environmental rules, arguing that dismantling these rules will hinder farmers' ability to adapt to climate change. It highlights that heat stress and droughts have already reduced wheat and maize yields by over 60% in some southern European regions. The signatories demand that the CAP transition from hectare-based income support to incentive-based models, specifically calling for eco-schemes to receive 30% of direct payments by 2026-2027 and the implementation of sustainable peatland management. The statement emphasizes that administrative simplification should focus on digitalization and satellite data rather than suspending performance reports or weakening environmental standards.

• The European Commission's simplification packages for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and other environmental and food safety policies lack supporting impact assessments or data to prove they will not affect climate and environmental ambitions.
• Climate risks are already causing significant economic damage to European agriculture, with wheat and maize yields dropping by more than 60% in certain southern European regions and up to 30% in other areas due to heat stress and droughts.
• The current CAP framework is criticized for hindering progress by prioritizing hectare-based income support for wealthy landowners and maintaining subsidies for factory farming and excessive pesticide use, leaving farmers vulnerable to unhealthy soils and extreme weather.
• To improve resilience, the European Commission is urged to increase the allocation of direct payments to eco-schemes to 30% for the 2026-2027 period and to strengthen the implementation of Good agricultural and environmental conditions (GAEC) and Statutory Management Requirements (SMR).
• The signatories advocate for specific support for the sustainable management of peatlands, including rewetting and paludiculture, particularly in Member states with high proportions of drained organic soils.

APA

Changing Markets Foundation (2025). Dismantling environmental rules will hinder, not help farmers: Invest in their resilience. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/dismantling-environmental-rules-will-hinder-not-help-farmers_ngo-statement-1.pdf

Chicago

Changing Markets Foundation. Dismantling environmental rules will hinder, not help farmers: Invest in their resilience. 2025. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/dismantling-environmental-rules-will-hinder-not-help-farmers_ngo-statement-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Changing Markets Foundation |title=Dismantling environmental rules will hinder, not help farmers: Invest in their resilience |date=18 March 2025 |url=https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/dismantling-environmental-rules-will-hinder-not-help-farmers_ngo-statement-1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{changingmarketsfoundation2025dismantling, author = {{Changing Markets Foundation}}, title = {{Dismantling environmental rules will hinder, not help farmers: Invest in their resilience}}, publisher = {Changing Markets Foundation}, year = {2025}, month = mar, url = {https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/dismantling-environmental-rules-will-hinder-not-help-farmers_ngo-statement-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }