Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you, Raffaele, for your introduction.
I do not know at what age you decided to become journalists. Or if this career path happened by chance.
Farming is still considered a calling, more than just a job. A passion.
It gives your life purpose. After all, without farmers, people would not fulfill their most basic need in life: eat.
You spend most of your day outside, working with, and in nature.
You can run your own business.
For a lot of people who do not want to be stuck in an office with rigid hours, this sounds like a dream.
And yet, the number of farmers in the EU is going down. We cannot find enough young people interested enough to enter the profession.
We know that agricultural incomes are lower than in the rest of society – this is why we have a strong Common Agricultural Policy. But setting up a farm, with land, machines, seeds, etc costs money. A lot of money. But banks are less likely to give you a loan if you earn less and your income is volatile.
In addition, we know that rural areas do not always provide the necessary infrastructures and services. I met a young woman farmer in Sweden, who told me that she had to choose: kids or cows? Because the closest kindergarten was one hours drive away.
The average age of a farmer in the EU is 57. And only 12% are below the age of 40.
This puts our food security at risk. This puts the future of our rural areas at risk.
Today, with our strategy for generation renewal, we are making support for young and new farmers a political priority for our food security and our rural areas.
We recognise that young farmers have specific challenges that need to be adressed with specific actions.
We will ask each Member State to prepare a national strategy in their future budget Plans to prepare for the next generation of farmers.
We expect these strategies to address the obstacles young people face when starting the job. And we will expect regular reporting on their progress.
On the Commission side, we will steer this process with our CAP recommendations.
Where needed, we will also present specific recommendations in the context of the European Semester on land policies, speculative acquisitions, succession laws, or pension schemes for farmers, for example.
Because generational renewal is not driven by the CAP and the EU level alone. We must work at all levels, and across all policies to make a difference.
This is why I am particularly pleased to be standing here today next to my colleague, Raffaele Fitto, because cohesion funds and CAP funds very much complement each other to make a difference in rural areas.
Improving living conditions means prioritising infrastructure, such as healthcare, education, and, critically, high-speed internet. Making rural areas more appealing to young families is an essential part of securing our agricultural future.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Today, we are stepping up our support for young farmers. In the next budget, we will recommend that Member States double their efforts to ensure generational renewal, especially in those Member States lagging behind. Member States should dedicate at least 6% of their ring-fenced CAP envelope to support young and new farmers.
In the next CAP, young farmers will also benefit from a starter pack that will help them set up.
It will include support for setting-up with lump sums of up to €300,000, investment aid, access to financial instruments, access to training and advice, with CAP co-funding.
When you start, you need money and land.
We will also better target direct payments to make sure that young farmers are supported as they should.
We work closely with the European Investment Bank to explore the possibilities of guarantee schemes and interest rate subsidies. Easier access to finance is essential.
We will launch a European Land Observatory to keep track of available land, and prevent land speculation. To make it easier for new entrants to start farming.
We also want to create a mentorship platform, linking retiring farmers with aspiring farmers. We all have much to learn from those who have been doing this job their whole life.
Speaking of learning, farmers will have access to Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs. They can go abroad and learn from another farm or even from an entirely different sector with a view to diversify their business. Maybe go into agri tourism. Or tap into the potential of bioeconomy.
And to improve the work-life balance for farmers who need to take a break because they are sick, need to take care of a relative or simply want to go on holiday, we will co-fund the wages of the workers replacing them. We call this Farm Relief Service.
With everything we do, we want to make sure that those who want to get started know what help is available. Each country will set up a single entry point with all information on support and training.
Ladies and gentlemen,
In my first Youth Dialogue in December last year, I met Anja, a young woman from Slovenia who told me: “if you manage to keep me and my brother in farming in 5 years, then you will have done a good job.”
This is my compass for my action. I talked to Anja again just last Friday before presenting our Strategy to you.
She is watching closely the markets, the prices, and how our society perceives farmers to make up her mind.
Today, with our Strategy, we state our ambition to double the share of new and young farmers in the EU, from 12 to 24%.
And I very much hope that Anja will be in that share, feeding us, and knowing that we are grateful for her work.
Thank you.
