REC - EMTC: Insight 3/2: Make sure everyone realises before it's too late

E D I T O R' S   N O T E

Make sure everyone realises before it's too late

The nations of Central and Eastern Europe might be less economically developed than their Western neighbours but the region is rich in natural beauty. While accession countries have a lot to gain from joining the European Union, they should also learn from its mistakes. The EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has encouraged intensive farming, which uses more agro-chemicals and consequently unbalances the ecosystem. In addition, there is just too much food production, which has led to the notorious "mountains" and "lakes" which have characterised CAP since its early days.

Conversely, the extensive methods used in much of Central and Eastern Europe allow wildlife to flourish alongside agriculture. Fertilisers and pesticides are generally used in smaller quantities than in Western Europe. Western naturalists flock to see birds like the Great Bustard and the Imperial Eagle, which are all but extinct in EU countries.

But how can such a situation be maintained when Central and East European countries join the European Union? Despite the fact that farmers are now given less subsidies, most Western farmers still prefer to produce intensively and reap in the profits. Even now some of them have their eyes set on Eastern Europe as a cheap production base — and a few have managed to get around the laws forbidding foreigners to buy farmland there.

The only way Central and East European farmers can learn to compete in such a market in an environmentally responsible way is by being aware of the market options open to them. That will require the build-up of adequate information channels so they can plan their production cycles on sound market principles. It calls for comprehensive training in the business of farming — improving the links between producers and processors as well as the export-import network. To rise to the challenge of CAP, Central and East European farmers must learn to produce what the market wants, with efficient and cost-effective methods.

Governments too, must realise that it is not enough to draft strict laws protecting the environment. Implementation is the most important factor. Without economic incentives to produce extensively, farmers are more likely to opt for the quick profits of intensive methods. That means agriculture, environment and transport ministries should work together with civil society organisations and farmers, to achieve that common goal. Teams made up of different experts can help open up the lines of communication and abandon traditional systems, where officials found it more effective to keep facts to themselves rather than share information. From the most senior government officials through to those on the grassroots level, the potential environmental damage caused by joining the Common Agricultural Policy, must be taken seriously. If not, the region's most precious riches could vanish forever.

—Sarah Roe

REC * EMTC * PUBLICATIONS * INSIGHT * AUTUMN 1998