German farmers once again do not have to adhere to the rules on setting aside land. Environment Minister Lemke and Agriculture Minister Özdemir wanted compensation for this – but failed due to resistance from the FDP and farmers.
It’s a huge defeat for Steffi Lemke and Cem Özdemir. The Federal Environment Minister and the Federal Agriculture Minister had actually made an adjustment to the EU agricultural funding as a basic condition for farmers to be able to deviate from the rules on set-aside this year too.
The two Green ministers wanted to strengthen organic farming. But their plan failed, at least for the time being, mainly due to the resistance of the FDP within the federal government.
In order to receive funding from the EU, farmers must meet certain requirements. One of them is that they are not allowed to cultivate four percent of their arable land. Due to the persistently high energy prices as a result of the Russian attack on Ukraine and losses in sales as a result of extreme weather events last year, the EU Commission has now proposed to suspend this rule on set-aside again.
Environmental groups are demanding compensation
Environmental associations criticize this step and point out the importance of fallow land for biodiversity. According to the WWF, they are often the “last refuge” for animals and plants in otherwise largely cleared landscapes. Compensatory measures are therefore urgently needed.
The EU Commission already made an exception to the obligation to set aside land last year. However, the reason was different. The EU Commission wanted to compensate for loss of wheat yields in Ukraine, for example.
A goal that may have been missed. Initial figures from Germany at least indicate that the area cultivated for grain will still decline in 2023 compared to the previous year. Instead, among other things, more feed corn was grown, which is used, for example, in pig fattening.
The criticism from environmental associations is therefore: Suspending the set-aside would be a excuse for the farmers.
To ensure that the environment and biodiversity are not the victims again this year, Lemke and Özdemir wanted to take countermeasures in the area of EU agricultural funding. Your plan: The eco-premium should be increased by five percent. This would have reduced the basic premium by 13 euros per hectare. The farmers would have received less money for their land and would have had to farm more ecologically.
FDP and farmers’ association against new requirements
There was resistance to this not only from the FDP. The German Farmers’ Association also insisted on a one-to-one implementation of the EU Commission’s proposal – without further changes to the funding guidelines. The argument: New requirements would risk “further disadvantage and thus a weakening of competitiveness” compared to other European farmers.
In the end, farmers and liberals prevailed. Probably also because there is great concern in the Chancellery about further farmers’ protests.
Instead, in his own words, Özdemir will now invite agricultural associations and environmental associations “very promptly” to advise on compensatory measures to secure biodiversity. The wheel does not need to be reinvented, the suggestions are on the table, said the minister. The question, however, is whether he will use this extra round to convince those who had previously rejected the proposals.