‘Food security and agricultural strategic autonomy are not negotiable’

Together, they signed the Warsaw Declaration in the presence of the Polish vice premier and minister of Defence. “Food security and agricultural strategic autonomy are not negotiable,” states Gert Jan Oplaat, signee representing the European poultry processors combined in AVEC.

The farmers’ organisations plead for a better agricultural policy whilst simultaneously opposing the EU-Mercosur trade deal. The undersigned organisations demand the preservation of the Common Agricultural Policy as a fully autonomous cornerstone of the European Union, with a separate, dedicated two-pillar budget adequate to the challenges faced.

They call on EU institutions to reinforce market management with properly functioning and adequately financed risk management tools and safety nets. Furthermore, they demand the immediate suspension of the ratification process of the EU-Mercosur agreement in its current form, along with concrete, coherent measures to protect European farmers. They expect fair rules of international trade based on full reciprocity, equal production standards, and environmental protection, supported by credible control measures.

The organisations gathered in Warsaw express their deepest concern and firm opposition to policy initiatives that threaten the foundations of European agriculture: agricultural strategic autonomy for food and non-food needs, consumer safety, fair competition, and the protection of the environment and climate. They oppose the dismantling of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) as a strong, ambitious policy with a dedicated budget adequate to the challenges, and thereby oppose any actions that endanger the future of European agriculture and, consequently, Europe’s security.

Without domestic production, there is no food security

The increasing reliance on agricultural imports, at the expense of domestic production, poses significant risks, particularly in the context of an uncertain geopolitical environment and ongoing global military conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine. This shift could weaken European agriculture and disrupt established supply chains, leading to greater global instability. This contrasts sharply with the strategies adopted by other global players, who are prioritising the strengthening of their own domestic agricultural sectors.

Furthermore, the farmers’ organisations state that the European Commission cannot demand increasingly strict environmental standards from its own farmers while accepting food imports that do not adhere to the same rigorous standards. It is crucial to review and redefine a coherent European trade policy and recognise the strategic dimension of food production, within a trade order that has drastically changed and moved away from being rules-based. This is necessary to safeguard a sound and future-proof European agricultural sector.