Policy areas
Green Deal, Food supply chain & CAP
Food production, land and forest management have been put in the spotlight as key areas to help achieve the new European Green Deal. Farmers and their cooperatives are therefore the major actors and partners in ensuring its implementation on the ground. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is one of the key policy areas to deliver on this and it remains Copa-Cogeca’s highest priority. The CAP is the backbone of agriculture in the EU and one of the main reasons behind its sustainability and competitiveness. Direct payments (the first pillar) together with the rural development policy (the second pillar) support farmers, forest owners and their cooperatives to produce safe, high-quality and nutritious food for consumers. The CAP also helps farmers to sustainably manage natural resources, protect the environment and contribute to tackling climate change. Guaranteeing fairness throughout the food supply chain is one of our specific focuses. We aim to ensure the efficiency of value chains and the competitiveness of the sector. Together with our members, we actively provide decision-makers with relevant first-hand information ‘from the ground’ on these important topics. We inform them about farmers’ and cooperatives’ needs and how they contribute to the CAP, as well as about the functioning of the food supply chain and the farmers’ position within it. Above all, we push for a common and simpler CAP together with a fairer, more balanced and transparent food supply chain.
READ OUR LATEST POSITIONLivestock, Fish & Crops Productions
Copa-Cogeca and its members carefully follow the commodities markets on a daily basis. We keep abreast of current and future discussions on legislation impacting a wide range of commodities, such as livestock products (beef, pork, poultry, horses, sheep meat, fish, honey, eggs and milk), olive oil, wine, hops and spirits as well as arable crops and horticultural produce like fruit, vegetables and flowers. Given that the production of these commodities is subject to many different production factors (plant protection products, fertilisers, machinery, etc.), together with all our members, we play an active role in finding solutions to improve farming methods. Facilitating the flow of information on the various commodities from the ground to the decision-makers in Brussels is key to ensuring a correct functioning of the markets and, where necessary, adequate interventions and actions to assist farmers and agri-cooperatives.
READ OUR LATEST POSITION
Feed & Food
As the first producers of food, farmers play a crucial role in ensuring the availability of high-quality, nutritious and affordable food for consumers. Food safety is a key priority for Copa-Cogeca members. We keep a close eye on all developments relating to food and feed safety to ensure that the products our members place on the market meet EU food safety standards. Decisions relating to this need to be science-based and the regulatory framework must promote innovation in order to continue to guarantee a sustainable, modern and competitive EU agricultural sector. That is why, as one of the key stakeholders in the food supply chain, we carefully follow and participate in the work of EFSA and DG SANTE. Agricultural products are an essential source of different nutrients required for good health. Nutrition and actions to promote a balanced diet are therefore also among our priorities. In this respect, the EU agricultural promotion policy is an effective tool to raise awareness of EU agriculture and of the high quality of EU products. We believe that the wealth of the EU’s culinary heritage must be celebrated and safeguarded.
READ OUR LATEST POSITIONPlant/Animal health & Welfare
Ensuring safe, healthy and nutritious food and a good management of natural resources is fundamental for European farmers and agri-cooperatives. Plant and animal health and welfare are therefore key aspects in agricultural production and are regulated by European legislation. Copa-Cogeca together with its members have always helped to develop this legislation and have been advocates of European high standards in this respect. Plant health is an essential aspect for European crop producers (cereals, fruit and vegetables, wine, etc.). It justifies using products and methods to prevent crop losses caused by pests and diseases that often affect these types of production. Likewise, animal health and welfare are important for livestock producers (both dairy and meat). They ensure that animals stay healthy and well fed and allow producers to prevent diseases and cure the animals when needed. Farmers need access to a well-equipped toolbox (including methods, products and technology) to help them manage their production in a sustainable manner, while guaranteeing food safety and food security. For Copa-Cogeca and its members, it is key that all decision-making in this area is based on solid scientific findings. This is why Copa-Cogeca also remains in close contact with and, as a stakeholder, contributes to the work of European agencies and authorities such as EFSA and the ECDC.
READ OUR LATEST POSITION
Agri-Cooperatives
European agri-cooperatives are major actors within the European agri-food and forestry sectors. More than 22,000 agri-cooperatives are owned and controlled by some 7 million farmers. Farmer-members and forest-owners directly own and control these cooperative enterprises, which are created to satisfy their market, social and environmental needs using value-added activities and economies of scale. Cogeca and its dedicated Coordination Committee ensure that the role of agri-cooperatives and their contribution to achieving more competitive and sustainable European agriculture is recognised and strengthened. The representatives of European agri-cooperatives contribute to the work of the Copa-Cogeca Working Parties on both commodity-related and horizontal issues, specifically focussing on certain cooperative aspects that require special dedication and acknowledgement. Moreover, Cogeca also represents a platform in which members can exchange critical strategic developments. Thanks to the Cogeca Presidency Business Fora, cooperative representatives are able to exchange and share sectoral and horizontal business strategies. As innovation is a key driver to deliver economic, social and environmental value to agri-cooperative members, Cogeca also celebrates the best agri-cooperative innovations on a triennial basis with its dedicated European Award for Cooperative Innovation.
READ OUR LATEST POSITIONEnvironment & climate
Ensuring environmental sustainability and building resilience to climate change is a major priority for Copa-Cogeca members. Together we work to improve land management and adapt farming practices in order to better protect biodiversity and the environment and to contribute to the European Green Deal. By reducing emissions and increasing removals, we also aim to improve the carbon balance of agricultural production. Extreme weather events (droughts, storms and floods) are putting farmers under pressure and negatively affect the ecosystems that farmers depend on to produce high-quality and nutritious food for the rapidly growing global population. We believe that agriculture and forestry have a central role to play in climate change mitigation: both sectors are already working hard to improve resource efficiency, all the while maintaining food production in the face of a changing climate and fierce international competition. Copa-Cogeca and its members are therefore investing more resources into tackling such issues through exchanging best practices at EU level, research and innovation and cooperation with other stakeholders.
READ OUR LATEST POSITION
Production methods
When producing agricultural commodities, be this for food or other purposes, many different production methods are used. At Copa-Cogeca, we support and represent a wide variety of production methods and producers. Over the past few decades and increasingly in recent years, Copa-Cogeca has closely followed and taken part in developing legislation on organic production as well as in new breeding technique developments. Representing a large number of organic producers, be they in livestock or crop production, Copa-Cogeca and its Organic Working Party, together with Working Parties on different commodities and horizontal issues such as plant protection or animal welfare, have created a coherent and coordinated approach. This allows its members to follow the developments in various areas and evaluate the impact and opportunities of different policies and legislation in order to assist our farmers in their production and decision-making.
READ OUR LATEST POSITIONBioeconomy, Renewable Energy & Forestry
European farmers and foresters play a key role in boosting bioeconomy and renewable energy development and good forest management. Forestry is an integral part of the EU’s agriculture and rural development policies and of the European economy and society as a whole. With forests and other wooded land covering around 43% of EU land area (Eurostat, 2016), forests are the green lungs of Europe, transforming CO2 into oxygen and maintaining biodiversity whilst producing wood, cork, fruit and mushrooms. Forest biomass is an important source of renewable raw materials that contributes to the transition to a more circular economy. Forests also play a vital role in fostering the bioeconomy and achieving the EU’s Green Deal. Forestry and agriculture are key to the sustainable management of natural resources and to ensuring growth and employment in rural areas. Together with our members, we work to promote sustainable forest management and the multifunctional role of forests. These forests form the basis of multiple products and provide important economic, environmental and cultural benefits. Together with our members, we also work on enhancing the production and use of renewable energy on farm by exploring new opportunities and overcoming barriers.
READ OUR LATEST POSITION
Innovation, research & technology
EU farmers and agri-cooperatives believe that investments in innovation, research and technology supported by robust AKIS (Agriculture Knowledge and Innovation Systems) are essential to improving and modernising the agriculture and forestry sectors. Together with our members, we keep track of EU developments in the innovation and research agenda, in digitalisation and of all initiatives linked specifically to the farming sector. We promote a proactive approach, aiming to make our sector one of the frontrunners in the data-driven economy and in developing new technologies for better resource efficiency. We believe that farmers and cooperatives should be key partners in agriculture-related research, and we support our members’ participation in EU-funded projects.
READ OUR LATEST POSITIONEconomic, legal & social analysis
In collaboration with its members, Copa-Cogeca follows the latest economic trends in the agricultural sector, focusing particularly on the evolution of agricultural prices. We deliver analysis based on the most recent data available on the agricultural sector and on direct payments. Every year, we gather data and publish the EU agricultural barometer, a confidence survey among EU farmers. We bring together all figures relevant to EU agriculture (number of farmers, type of farms, gender, age, statistics on all commodities, etc.). These statistics support our policy lines and showcase our representativeness. Along with our members, Copa-Cogeca works hard on all social and employment issues relating to agriculture. Be it through the work of Geopa (Copa's employers' group) or other Working Parties and committees, we proactively strive to improve the well-being and working conditions of all those actively involved in agricultural production in the EU. We also take a great interest in any tax and legal questions that might concern our members, as well as in competition policy, including aspects relating to state aid.
READ OUR LATEST POSITION
International aspects
European farmers and agri-cooperatives operate on international markets and their high-quality produce is appreciated worldwide. At Copa-Cogeca, along with our members, we closely follow and contribute to the negotiation and implementation of bilateral and multilateral free trade deals and the promotion of European products abroad. We also greatly encourage and promote the contribution of our members to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. We collaborate closely with the World Farmers’ Organisation, and participate actively in the work of international organisations (the OECD, the UN and the WTO) and in meeting the commitments of the Paris Agreement. In increasingly globalised markets, Copa-Cogeca and its members believe that it is key to guarantee fair and balanced trade and a competitive position of European agriculture.
READ OUR LATEST POSITIONWomen in agriculture
Gender equality and women's empowerment are just as important within the agricultural sector and Copa-Cogeca together with its members works on this issue through its long-standing Women’s Committee. The Committee brings together female farmer leaders from across the EU who represent women in agriculture at European and EU level, be they farmers, rural entrepreneurs, from farming families, agricultural cooperatives or associated with agricultural and other rural activities. It provides a platform to highlight the challenges faced by women in agricultural and rural areas, as well as ensuring a gender perspective to agricultural and rural policies. Biennially, the Women’s Committee host the European Women Farmers Innovation Award, celebrating women farmers and their innovations towards more sustainable farming.
READ OUR LATEST POSITION
