In the context of the European Commission’s Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture, and its ongoing consultation on a new agricultural policy strategy to promote generational renewal, the European Access to Land Network has submitted the following contribution. This response highlights the urgent need for structural reforms—particularly regarding land access—to ensure that a new generation of agroecological farmers can enter and sustain farming across Europe.
You can find the EU consultation here:
EU Agricultural Policy Strategy to Promote Generational Renewal
Here is our response:
Dear Members of the European Commission, In response to the 2024 Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture, we urge immediate action to address the critical challenge of generational renewal in Europes farming sector. The European Access to Land Network, representing grassroots organizations across seven Member States, has identified key barriers and actionable solutions to ensure the future of agroecological farming. The current implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) falls short of the EUs climate and environmental ambitions. Recent reports highlight significant deficiencies, such as ecological backsliding in Denmark and the European Court of Auditors’ findings that CAP Strategic Plans lack measurable green criteria. This misalignment risks perpetuating a farming model that fails both future farmers and the environment. First and foremost, access to land is a primary obstacle for new and young farmers. The concentration of farmland, driven by speculative investment and insufficient regulation, must be addressed. We urge the Commission to support land price capping, introduce priority land access for agroecological projects and new entrants, and place binding restrictions on corporate acquisitions of farmland and support land reforms amid the integration of Ukraine as stated by the EESC in June 24. To enable evidence-based policies in this field, we strongly support the proposal to establish a European Observatory on Agricultural Land. As detailed in our recent policy brief, such an Observatory is indispensable to collect harmonized data on ownership, land use rights, market dynamics, and land concentration. It would also increase transparency around beneficiaries of CAP subsidies and enable Member States to regulate land transactions in line with the public interest. Secondly, the CAP must take into account the impact on land and adapt accordingly. A cap on subsidies based on the number of non-salaried workers on the farm must be implemented. This cap would serve as a transitional mechanism to shift CAP subsidies away from purely area-based criteria toward models that reward meaningful employment, agroecological transition, and active land stewardship. While it does not yet constitute a full position on phasing out area-based payments, it aligns with broader calls to decouple public support from farm size and landholding alone. In addition, we need to redefine the status of the active farmer more precisely, to prevent aid intended for farmers being captured by people who are not involved in the work (company directors, absentee landlords disguised as farmers). Financial and administrative barriers should be reformed to allow gradual entry into farming, with flexible support for those committed to agroecological practices. Farm incubators, such as those in the RENETA French network, offer a promising model for supporting new entrants. These incubators provide land, infrastructure, and mentoring, facilitating sustainable transitions into farming. We recommend that the European Commission support the development of such schemes across Member States. Additionally, we propose creating a European center for farm succession and knowledge transfer to systematize best practices and support regional authorities. We invite dialogue with DG AGRI and other stakeholders to explore how such a centre could reinforce the social and generational components of AKIS. Public land should be mobilized under favorable, long-term leases for new entrants, aligned with environmental and social objectives. Finally, we echo the Strategic Dialogues conclusion: generational renewal is a unique opportunity to reshape our agricultural future. The European Commission must act decisively to ensure that the next generation of farmers has the tools and land to build robust, fair, and sustainable food systems. Sincerely, The European Access to Land Network