DW: Is EU agricultural policy changing because of Ukraine?

In 2023 the new EU agricultural policy enters into force with priority on “sustainable” crops. However, the war in Ukraine could turn the tide.

The Green Deal, with which the EU wants to become “climate neutral” by 2050, sets very ambitious goals. By 2030, farmers should reduce the use of pesticides by 50%, but also the use of chemical fertilizers by 20%. In addition, they must commit at least ¼ of their soils to organic crops, while at a rate of 4% set-aside is required, in order to protect biodiversity, but also to recover the soil nutrients. The use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides may increase yields on conventional crops, but also increase the risks to the environment, causing arable land saturation, groundwater pollution and increased carbon dioxide emissions.

Higher yields, fewer organic crops?

However, the war in Ukraine is changing the data of the equation. Both Russian attacks on Ukraine and Western sanctions on Russia affect the production of basic necessities, and both countries are among the world’s largest exporters of food such as cereals, sunflower oil, soybeans and corn. Speaking to Deutsche Welle, Roman Schlaston, general manager of the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB), which represents the interests of the agri-food sector in Ukraine, described the situation as follows: “There is no economic activity in the areas occupied by the Russian troops. “There is no fuel, Russian tanks are on the streets. We are in central Ukraine, but our reserves have been destroyed.” A Dutch farmer, Kees Huizinga, who years ago settled on a farm 200 km south of Kiev, tells Deutsche Welle that “for farmers in Ukraine, wherever their produce is, it is almost impossible to export it. “And this is because all ports in southern Ukraine remain under Russian siege.”

In Germany, members of the ruling Liberal Liberal Party (FDP) and the Christian Democratic Opposition (CDU) are calling for a halt to “climate-neutral” agricultural policies so that there is no shortage of food due to the dramatic developments in Ukraine. The same is suggested by the farmers’ unions. As Stefan von Kramon-Taubandel, a professor of agricultural economics at the University of Tübingen, puts it, “the international market certainly needs extra food to make up for the losses from Ukraine and Russia. food supply caused by the pandemic, but also the reduced crop in Canada due to widespread drought “.

“If we produce less, others will produce more“

German Agriculture Minister Cem Edzdemir assures – and reiterated at the last G7 summit – that the EU is not going to face food shortages. However, poorer countries are already experiencing significant increases in food and are worried about potential food problems. Should the EU postpone its “climate neutral” targets to increase production and exports, helping to tackle problem? “What is certain is that if we in Europe produce less food, then some others will produce more, indulge in more intensive crops and then the risks to the environment will increase there,” said Stefan von Cramon-Taubandel.

Thomas Herzfeld, director of the Leibniz Institute for Rural Economics (IAMO), gives an example: carbon, therefore increasing environmental costs “. Experts estimate that, with these data, it would be better to improve conventional farming methods, rather than insist on a direct transition to organic crops, which will be less efficient. This does not mean, however, that we should renounce the new regulations on fertilizers and pesticides. “Water protection remains a top priority and that does not change because we want to increase agricultural production,” said Thomas Herzfeld.

Janet Zwienk

Edited by: Giannis Papadimitriou

Source: Deutsche Welle