The Left group in the European Parliament has launched a manifesto for a fair and democratic CAP. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has failed farmers and EU citizens, with one European farm disappearing every 3 minutes in the last decade alone.

The proposals elaborated by MEPs of the GUE/NGL group in the European Parliament come in response to the post-2020 CAP unveiled earlier this month. The Manifesto proposes concrete policies to realise:

• a sustainable production and consumption model;
• decent income for small and medium farms, and higher social protection for farmers and agricultural workers;
• a fair alternative to free trade agreements and the end of export subsidies;
• a climate-friendly and healthier CAP;
• gender and age balance in the sector;
• animal welfare and;
• forest protection and sustainable forest manage.

In contrast, the Commission’s post-2020 CAP proposals continue the same old policies that have benefited mostly large agribusinesses like Monsanto, with dire costs to the environment, animals and public health. About 80 percent of the €55 billion/year CAP budget went to 20 percent of recipients, showing a huge imbalance in the system.