COAG requires the EC agricultural reform to ensure the income of farmers

During a meeting with the European Commissioner for agriculture, Dacian Ciolos, Coag and Via Campesina representatives called for a reform of the common agricultural policy (Cap) to enable fair pricing in the field. The demada surrendered in writing through a document specifying the position of both on the occasion of the review of the CAP, whose implementation will take place after the year 2013, at the end of the current budget. The meeting, which took place on April 13, was attended by the head of international relations of Coag, Rafael Hernández and the voice of this organization in the economic and Social Committee (Ceasefire) European, Javier Sánchez. In his interview with the European Commissioner for agriculture, Coag and Via Campesina was referred to the capacity of the social and family farming model to respond to the challenges of the twenty-first century: feeding the population, creating jobs, fighting global warming and preserving biodiversity. In this regard, since Coag insisted on the need for "new rules of the game to bail out small and medium-sized farms" of the critical situation faced. As priority issues, the agricultural entity stressed the production control and regulation of the agricultural markets, the existence of a transparent food chain, the limitation of profit margins agents involved in processes of transformation and distributionas well as protection against imported products at lower prices. "If farmers get market sufficient income to be able to live in dignity of the activity, we will be able to ensure some food in quantity and quality sufficient to the population at affordable prices", has argued Hernandez. For its part, Javier Sánchez, representative of the EESC has ensured that the current situation shows the failure of the current CAP and, in consequence of its measures, which do not ensure the income of the farmer. The effects of the meeting has not been wait. Earlier this week, the European Commissioner for trade said the start of a public debate on this reform. Ciolos has already publicly expressed its willingness to put in value the different types of agriculture in different regions, making reference in particular to small farms.