Advocating for sustainable agriculture and livestock

By Celsa Peiteado, World Wildlife Fund Spain (WWF Spain)

During the last few months, advocacy work and lobbying efforts on farming policies has been carried out extensively by WWF Spain in a collaborative project that aims to facilitate and promote policy changes in favour of agro-silvo-pastoral systems and their related practices. Pending the adoption of the final version of the regulations and budget for the EU Common Agricultural Policy beyond 2020, proposals have been presented to the Agricultural Council and the European Parliament to improve the environmental ambition of the new regulations and to support High Nature Value Systems and the cultural practices that generate them.

At the European level, the presentation of two new strategies within the framework of the new European Green Deal has also been closely followed by our partners: Farm to Fork Strategy and EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030.

At the end of May, the documents proposed by the European Commission included a large part of the suggestions made by our partners to achieve sustainable and resilient food systems. Among others, this includes reducing the use of fertilizers, pesticides and antimicrobials in livestock, and promoting organic farming and high biodiversity farming landscapes. At the state level, we have been involved in developing the future CAP Strategic Plan, sending proposals and comments to the ministries of agriculture and environment in Spain.

The work has paid off for now, the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture issued a proposal to support extensive livestock farming with a specific eco-scheme at the national level on extensive grazing, as well as other important cultural practices for the environment, such as crop rotation or green cover in permanent crops.

Currently, we are working with the European Commission to limit the use of pesticides and to develop a long-term vision for rural areas. We will continue pushing for agricultural policies in support of healthy and sustainable agriculture and livestock, and the people that provide us with quality food while caring for the environment.