Press release
MPs hit out at EU greener farming plans
1 June 2012
Responding to a report today (Friday 1 June 2012) from a committee of MPs, which rejects the European Commission's proposed 'greening' regulations to reform the Common Agricultural Policy in favour of Member States having flexibility to tailor their land management to local circumstances, Friends of the Earth's Food Campaigner Kirtana Chandrasekaran said:
"An overhaul of the EU's environmentally damaging Common Agricultural Policy is long overdue.
"UK MPs mustn't use concerns about a one-size-fits-all approach to agricultural reforms as a smokescreen for weakening efforts for a more planet-friendly approach to farming.
"There's no reason why EU farming plans can't contain strong, legally-binding environmental measures that take regional circumstances into account.
"Pitting food production against protecting the environment would be extremely short-sighted - the biggest threats to our future food supplies are climate change, factory farming and the loss of essential pollinators such as bees.
"But MPs are right to highlight the benefits of crop rotation - including this in the new farming plans would bring substantial financial and environmental gains."
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1. Friends of the Earth gave evidence to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee report: Greening the Common Agricultural Policy.
2. Friends of the Earth's The Bee Cause campaign, which launched in April, is supporting individuals to make change in their gardens and communities to help bees, and calling on the Prime Minister to commit to a National Bee Action Plan. To support the call to David Cameron and find out what else you can do to help bees, visit www.foe.co.uk/bees.
If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.
Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Jun 2012
