What we do
Combating climate change
European farmers, forest owners and their cooperatives are the first to feel the impact of climate change. Adaptation is a current concern for agriculture and forestry due to the increase in extreme weather events. General debates on agriculture often neglect the fact that farmers are already actively reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Since 1990, they have reduced emissions by more than 20%, while continuing to ensure high quality and productivity.
Improving efficiency
Farmers, forest owners and their cooperatives have continuously improved their efficiency while strengthening the link between mitigation and adaptation; in fact, they did so well before the concept of the circular economy was first introduced.
What we believe
Championing carbon sequestration
Farmers are committed to implementing the Paris Agreement and to addressing the challenge of producing food for a growing population. Agriculture and forestry are indispensable partners: they are the only sectors capable of balancing emissions and removing emissions from the atmosphere naturally. They also have a key role to play in the transition from a fossil-based economy towards a bioeconomy. We believe that European farmers, forest owners and their cooperatives can truly become carbon capture and storage champions!
What we call for
Policy consistency
We call upon the European institutions to ensure policy consistency in the EU and internationally so as to enable private and public investments that contribute to climate action. Sustainable economic growth, including trade and market-based mechanisms, can build bridges between different parts of the world while promoting European climate-efficient products, bioenergy and standards. This would stimulate sustainable growth which, in turn, would ensure adequate income for the farming community.