Agrifood Brief: AGRI’s got a blank space, baby

It’s well known by now that most of Europe’s agricultural land is in the hands of greying farmers: More than half of farmland is managed by farmers over 55, while only 6% of the total land area is managed by farmers under 35.

But while the looming threat of generational renewal has taken centre stage in policy discussions, another kind of generational renewal has gone quietly under the radar – one that the farming sector should be just as worried about.

The European Commission’s agricultural service, best known as DG AGRI, is also haemorrhaging its grey-ts, with many of their top dogs retiring over the past few months. 

Public EU servants such as food chain authority Michael Scannell, agricultural economist Tassos Haniotis, or the top trade expert John Clarke will all be familiar to those of us working in Europe’s agricultural policy, given that they fronted many of the Commission’s public appearances. 

And with, cumulatively, several lifetimes of experience under their belts, there is no doubt that their departures have left a big hole – one that now has to be filled by a new wave of intakes. 

The question is: Do they have the expertise to navigate the increasing complexity of agriculture in an evolving world?

The answer is a resounding no, according to one off-record EU official, who warned that there is currently no sign of the required investment into the next generation of DG AGRI experts.

The official also reserved criticism for the rotational nature of the new Commission intakes – through which new staff are obliged to rotate between departments every six years – making it impossible to develop the in-depth knowledge needed to understand the nuances of each sector.

But not all may be lost, according to another EU official, who had a more optimistic outlook, pointing out that there have been some concerted efforts in the past few months to recruit external experts.

A challenge for recruiters is also to consider in their hiring new priorities of the EU agricultural policy, which require knowledge in sustainability aspects or a solid scientific background – while only a few decades ago, economic skills were more appealing, as DG AGRI was mainly dealing subsidies, commodity markets, and trade.

But DG AGRI is not the only one starting a brand new chapter. This week marks the departure of another EU agri-food giant – our very own beloved editor, Gerardo, who takes with him a wealth of experience from running the agri and health hubs at Euractiv for the past five years.

And you may have heard the ‘rumours fly’ – as Taylor Swift sings in her hit ‘Blank Space’ (which we can assure you is not about the big shoes to fill in the DG AGRI) – that Natasha and Julia are also soon to be moving onto their own greener pastures.

Both are leaving Euractiv at the end of the year, meaning there will be even more ‘blank spaces’ to fill in the EU agrifood world.

The past few years have definitely brought both ‘magic and madness’ (Taylor Swift fans should probably be in raptures with so many references to her song) – but we’ve loved playing the game. 

And so this is our swansong and a moment to say a huge thank you to all of you who have followed and contributed to our work over the past few years.

So long, farewell, and thanks for all the (AGRI)FISH. 

By Euractiv’s Agrifood Team

Subscribe to EURACTIV’s Agrifood Brief, where you’ll find the latest roundup of news covering agriculture and food from across Europe. The Agrifood Brief is brought to you by EURACTIV’s Agrifood Team – Gerardo Fortuna (@gerardofortuna), Natasha Foote (@NatashaFoote), Julia Dahm (@dahm_julia) and Maria Simon Arboleas (@msimonarboleas).

News of the week

COP28. After COP27 dedicated a pavilion to food for the first time, food and food systems will now be at the centre of the discussions in Dubai, where the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) is about to start. The conference in the United Arab Emirates will run from 30 November to 12 December. “Even if we appreciate the official recognition of the role food plays, both as a driver but also as a solution to climate change, we will be closely monitoring the COP28 debates and their conclusions,” commented Slow Food President Edward Mukiibi. “The organisation will check which solutions are being proposed for an urgent food system transformation and if governments will take the opportunity of the Paris Agreement stocktaking moment to revise national climate plans to include food systems with a holistic approach.”

Glyphosate renewal confirmed. The renewal of the use of glyphosate for the next 10 years, which was confirmed on 28 November, represents another shock for biodiversity after the rejection of the Sustainable Use Regulation (SUR) on pesticides. By failing to obtain a qualified majority against the renewal, member states refused to set a vision for an alternative way of farming and paved the way for its reauthorisation by the European Commission.

No more ‘beef’–Industrial emissions agreement. Negotiators for the EU member states and the Parliament reached an agreement on the fought-over Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) in the early morning hours this Wednesday (29 November). While the directive covers industrial plants and their emissions in general, it also applies to certain livestock farms.

But while the Commission proposed to include cattle farms from a certain size in the legislation, this was scrapped in the final text, which only foresees that the Commission should “review” the “need for EU action to address the emissions from the rearing of livestock, including from cattle” by the end of 2026.

The centre-right EPP party group welcomed the agreement, saying the exclusion of cattle had been the “most important part” of the parliament’s negotiating position on the file. Environmentalists, on the other hand, decried the move.

“Leaving industrial cattle farms out of the scope (…) undermines the potential of a regulation that should be a shield for citizens, not polluters,” the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), the Climate Action Network (CAN), and ClientEarth said in a joint statement.

Next year’s promotion policy. The European Commission also presented its agrifood promotion policy for 2024 to member states’ representatives in this week’s Special Committee on Agriculture. The programme allocates almost €186 million to activities for the promotion of EU agrifood products, both inside and outside the internal market.

The inclusion of certain products like red meat or alcohol in the promotion policy has become increasingly contested, as critics say promoting products like red meat or alcohol goes against the EU’s Beating Cancer Plan and Farm to Fork Strategy. The controversy also arose in the meeting, where, according to an internal source, some delegations called to continue including all products, while others stressed the importance of promoting healthy diets.

Olive oil and health. A new study on the beneficial effects of extra virgin olive oil (EVO) conducted by the Obesity Center for Study and Research of the University of Milan was presented at the European Parliament on Monday (23 November). The research provides a comprehensive analysis of the molecular and cellular processes which underpin the benefits of extra virgin olive oil to polyphenols.

CAP corner

First CAP plan stocktake. A little less than one year after the reformed CAP entered into force, the European Commission published a first summary report on the 28 national CAP Strategic Plans.

While the report does not go into individual countries’ plans, it finds that, jointly, the plans “show a significant joint effort to support farm income, ensure a fairer distribution of such support to smaller farms, and reduce income disparities in the most vulnerable sectors and disadvantaged areas”.

However, it also identifies areas where further efforts are needed, including risk management, climate adaptation, and biodiversity.

In this week’s Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA), many member states’ representatives welcomed the report, according to a source, while a number of countries called for more flexibility in modifying the strategic plans, as well as stronger risk management tools, among other things.

Agrifood news from the CAPitals

SPAIN

Spain’s new ‘old’ agriculture minister: What’s on the menu for Luis Planas. Spain’s re-appointed minister for agriculture, Luis Planas, has promised to continue to prioritise the triangle of “youth and women, water and digitalisation”, signalling that, in his third term in office, he will stick to his established course. Maria Simon Arboleas has the story.

SLOVAKIA

Slovakia to extend ban on Ukrainian agricultural commodities. Bratislava will further extend and tighten the rules for the commodities’ transit and has also banned the import of Ukrainian honey, sugar, malt and soybeans, Agriculture and Rural Development Minister and Smer party member Richard Takáč said on Wednesday. Read the story.

ROMANIA

Romania bans newly approved EU products, like insects, from traditional recipes. On Wednesday (29 November), a ban on the use of newly authorised EU foods in the preparation of traditional Romanian products was approved by the Chamber of Deputies. Read more.

GERMANY/AUSTRIA

Supermarkets call for NGT traceability. Several German and Austrian retailers have called to maintain consumers’ freedom of choice on NGTs in the ongoing reform of the EU’s gene editing rules. To this end, EU regulators must “guarantee full traceability and labelling of NGTs throughout the supply chain,” the retailers, which include Germany’s REWE group and Austria’s Hofer, wrote in an open letter.

SERBIA

Government reaches agreement with farmers. Farmers who have been blocking roads in Vojvodina and other parts of Serbia since May over unmet demands from the Agriculture Ministry have agreed to measures with the government and promised to end the blockades. Find out more.

[Edited by Nathalie Weatherald/Zoran Radosavljevic]

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