Euraf Press Release, 14 March 2013

European Parliament votes to include agroforestry systems in Europe’s rural development – but not in direct payments
 
Brussels, 14 March 2013 -- The European Parliament yesterday voted to include a definition of agroforestry in the Second Pillar of the reformed Common Agricultural Policy, which provides support for Rural Development through the European Agricultural Fund. It also extended the range of agroforestry systems eligible for such support. To date, only extensive agroforestry systems had been eligible.
 
But the Parliament failed to support amendments that would have encouraged farmers to adopt agroforestry in the first pillar of the CAP, which governs direct payments, despite mounting evidence that agroforestry is crucial to ensure the long-term maintenance of an efficient, productive and sustainable agriculture in Europe.
 
“The Parliament took a step towards the modernisation of European agriculture,” said Christian Dupraz, the President of the European Agroforestry Federation (EURAF).  “But it is a first step only. To ensure Europe’s farms remain productive over the long term, the principles of agroecological intensification, including agroforestry, must be brought into the core of the Common Agricultural Policy, which is the direct payment system.”
 
A meeting of the Agriculture Council next week will have an opportunity to further improve the proposed regulation. EURAF and its thousands of member farmers call upon it to make clear that agroforestry is eligible to direct payments.