Responding to price volatility: creating a more resilient agricultural sector

The EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee of the EU Select Committee of the UK House of Lords published on the 16 May 2016 its report, Responding to price volatility: creating a more resilient agricultural sector. The report investigated what needs to be done to boost the resilience of the farming sector in the face of challenges such as volatile prices. It called on the European Commission to reform the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to primarily support the provision of public goods, such as increased food security, high animal welfare standards and stewardship of the land.

Key findings
+ The Committee recommends that the UK Government encourage tenant farmers seeking to diversify and strengthen their resilience.
+ The Committee recommends the UK Government promote the use of financial instruments and raise awareness among farmers with operations of different sizes and in different sectors.
+ The report also calls for the UK Government to work with the private sector in developing new financial tools which could be accessed under Pillar 2 of the CAP.
+ The Committee further recommends the European Investment Bank speed up the work on financial instruments and work more closely with Member State governments and agricultural bodies to disseminate their work.
+ The Committee also urges the UK Government and the European Commission do much more to promote links between research projects and agribusinesses.

• Primary Source

United Kingdom: House of Lords: Parliamentary Business: Committees: EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee: News, 16.05.16: Common Agricultural Policy reform must focus on delivering Public Goods http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/lords-select/eu-energy-environment-subcommittee/news-parliament-2015/egy-env-agri-resilience-report/

NFU: News, 17.05.16: Lords report supports British farmers in volatile times http://www.nfuonline.com/news/latest-news/lords-report-supports-british-farmers-in-volatile-times/

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