Dear Ministres, dear Mr Petrini, dear rector Grimaldi, I joined Slow Food 10 years ago, and since then I have been involved in various activities in support of small-scale farmers and food producers both in Bulgaria (where I come from) and in Europe. Today I am here to represent the 28 small-scale farmers who join us for this celebration of European food biodiversity. In the last 10 years me and my friends from Slow Food have been sharing their challenges, regrets and expectations for a more flexible and human common agricultural policy. The aim of the European Union is to provide a framework for a more prosperous agriculture. Yet, this framework had to be implemented at national level and this is where the differences start. Because each member state has its own history and specificities of agriculture and the challenge for each government is to take them into consideration when implementing the EU policies at national level. In other words the responsibilities for a better future of agriculture in Europe are shared between the European Commission and the national competent authorities. For Instance, the EC has created the flexibility provision package for the hygiene rules for small establishments but since they are not obligatory each government is free to implement them or not. And some governments don’t neglecting the fact that in their countries small-scale farmers are reaching 80% of all farmers. The small are left to compete with the big farmers and food industry. This is how the small are gradually excluded from the picture, they abandon farming, leave their villages and go to the cities to adapt to a that is new and unusual for them. This is how one and the same political agenda results in different, sometimes opposite national policies. We know that experts in Brussels are aware of this fact and have recognized the big role of the small-scale farmers not only as providers of high-quality food but also as guardians of the natural and cultural resources of rural areas in Europe. Our faith stems from the new CAP and the recent developments in favour of small-scale farmers. The new CAP is expected to ensure viable food production, sustainable management of natural resources and climate change and balanced territorial development. For us it will be successful if by 2020, at a forum like this we can say that: - Depopulation of rural areas and aging of their inhabitants have significantly decreased and the number of young farmers is higher than the 6% we have now - Administrative and market barriers have been removed and farmers can easily access information, markets and funding. - Rural areas are with good infrastructure and people living there have have adequate medical services proper education. - Small-scale farmers have a strong voice to defend their needs and family farming is a successful business model. We trust our hope in your hands dear ladies and gentlemen. Do not disappoint us! Thank you!
Posted on: Sun, 28 Sep 2014 13:54:57 +0000
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