Farmers from the Balearic Islands protest in Brussels against the cuts in the new CAP

PalmRepresentatives of the Young Farmers' Association (Asaja) of the Balearic Islands participated this Thursday in a demonstration in Brussels to protest the "cuts" planned for the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The demonstration was organized by agricultural organizations from the 27 member states of the European Union to demand "urgent" changes to the regulations and warn of the "serious consequences" of the budget reduction, according to Europa Press. As Asaja Baleares stated in a press release, the agricultural organizations warned that "without a strong, well-funded CAP adapted to the realities of the countryside, it will be very difficult to guarantee the economic viability of farms, generational renewal, and European food sovereignty." This is especially true in island territories like the Balearic Islands, where the situation could be "even more critical" due to the structural additional costs borne by the primary sector. The association lamented the "dismantling" of the CAP model built over more than 60 years and focused on the impact that the reduction in funds allocated to the sector would have.

The proposal put forward by the European Commission, as detailed by Asaja Baleares, foresees cuts of between 15% and 20% in aid, the application of degressive subsidies to larger farms, and limitations on payments to small farmers. This last measure could leave retirees and pensioners who remain linked to agricultural activity and the maintenance of the land "out of the system."

Cooperatives join in

The Balearic Islands' Agri-food Cooperatives have supported the demonstration, which could have brought together some 15,000 farmers and 40 organizations from across Europe. The organization's president, Jerónima Bonafé, considered these mobilizations "demonstrate that the future of European agriculture is at a crucial juncture and can only be secured through policies that listen to the sector and provide effective tools to guarantee its long-term competitiveness and sustainability." Bonafé stressed the essential need for a "well-funded" European Comprehensive Strategy (ECS) that includes tools to address the problems arising from climate change, such as the proliferation and increased resistance of pests and the emergence of diseases like swine fever, avian influenza, and bluetongue. The president also highlighted the need to consider the specific characteristics of island territories, such as the loss of 39% of the Balearic Islands' agricultural land in the last decade.