CEJA voices its support for European farmers in light of recent developments in global agriculture and in particular due to the Russian import ban which exclusively targets agricultural products. Young farmers’ income is under threat and CEJA calls on decision-makers to support young farmers attempting to stay afloat in the sector in these difficult times.

Policy developments outside of the agricultural sector have unfairly impacted many farmers across the Union and the income of young farmers has been hit hard due to the sensitive nature of agricultural businesses in their first years of operations. CEJA calls on the EU Institutions to ensure that the measures already taken to help young farmers and therefore the future of the EU agricultural sector are not made in vain. CEJA asks for concrete steps to actively facilitate young farmer producer organisations in a bid to strengthen their bargaining power, particularly through the creation of an EU-level Independent Regulatory Body, thereby bringing producers and consumers closer together and increasing transparency throughout the food supply chain.

Commenting on the situation, Mr. Bartolini, CEJA President, stated that “The level of income of young farmers in some Member States has reached an all-time low. It is for this reason that the CEJA Young Farmer Manifesto – to be launched on September 8 – calls for measures such as a minimum standard of income or a safety net geared specifically towards safeguarding vulnerable young farmers. Young farmers are doing their best to provide quality food, preserve the EU model of agriculture, feed the world and provide the sector with jobs and growth, but they cannot do so alone. Policy-makers have to stay true to past commitments and implement measures to help them with these objectives.” A CEJA delegation will participate in the agricultural demonstration in Brussels, Belgium on September 7.