CAP Should Help Environment & Improve Practice

SPAIN - The Spanish Secretary of State for Rural Water, Josep Puxeu, called on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform to encourage better practice and environmental improvement.
calendar icon 23 September 2011
clock icon 2 minute read

Mr Puxeu was speaking at the opening of the seminar "Climate Change and Water in the Agriculture Sector", jointly organised by Spain, the UK and the European Commission in Madrid.

During his speech, Mr Puxeu stressed that agriculture and the environment are interrelated and complementary concepts.

Thus, he stressed that European farmers currently contribute to the conservation and improvement of the environment without compensation, to the delight of the whole society.

For this reason, the Secretary stressed that in the current context of reform of the CAP it is necessary to encourage such practices through the second pillar, as the European model is a additional cost to farmers for regulations that are not required in international markets or imports.

In this way, has stressed that no new commitments seem necessary to justify the CAP, but teaching to explain to taxpayers that the CAP is already green.

In this regard, it is noteworthy that food producers must meet regulations as justification for government support, such as nitrates, the Habitats or Bird's Water Framework Directive.

The Secretary also emphasised the important ability to supply food to Spain and the EU, which contribute to achieving the objectives of the Millennium Declaration, and emphasised that it is necessary to enhance a food industry to provide quality food supply with zero risk and health.

According to the FAO, world food production must increase by more than half by 2050.

To achieve this objective of ensuring food security and increasing the competitiveness of agriculture, Josep Puxeu has highlighted the need to advance in a sustainable and efficient water management system, to enable it to adapt to the challenges of climate change on water management.

A good example of all that is in irrigated agriculture, whose law goes beyond the basic requirements and is based on resource sustainability and energy efficiency.

TheCattleSite News Desk

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