Clip showed at the start of the plenary session to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). It shows the evolution of the agriculture in Europe during the last 60 years with the testimonials of three farmers from Belgium, Spain and Poland.

CAP reform (T)

60th anniversary of the Common Agriculture Policy (T)

Clip: 60th Anniversary of the CAP

60th Anniversary of the Common Agriculture Policy - 60 years of European support to our farmers

SOUNDBITE (French), Thierry Warnier, Belgian Farmer, I am Thierry Warnier, the eldest of three brothers. The main farm is in Fize Fontaine where our family has been for four generations.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Maricruz, Spanish farmer, My name is Maricruz, I come from Guadalajara, Spain and my main activity is agriculture. I grow grain in the province, as my family has done for generations.

SOUNDBITE (Polish), Janusz Darek, Polish farmer, My name is Janusz Darek. I live in Poręba Radna. I have been running a farm for 20 years, which I inherited from my father in this village.

SOUNDBITE (French), Thierry Warnier, Belgian Farmer, Initially, we were in traditional agriculture. We wanted to develop the farm, transform it. We changed how lifestock were fed, we took over all those factors there that were not under our control. We tried for a year to feed the animals with only products from the farm. We opened a butcher shop. We saw that people liked it, that it had its own character too.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Maricruz, Spanish farmer, Fifty years ago, when people went out to reap the cereal, it took five people a whole morning to harvest one hectare. Today a harvester do it in less than an hour and you can also incorporate GPS, and the driver has practically nothing to do, It is enough just be there to see that no problem arises.

SOUNDBITE (Polish), Janusz Darek, Polish farmer, I run a traditional farm, as they call it. I try to follow a sound agricultural policy making the best use of chemical products. I have scientific plans that require me to use only a specific amount of fertilizer.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Maricruz, Spanish farmer,  I would like agriculture, as we know it today, to continue. I would like the farmer who lives in a village to be able to continue to maintain his farm and grow cereals, which ultimately feed the world.

SOUNDBITE (French), Thierry Warnier, Belgian Farmer, Agriculture, the primary sector as we live it, is something that must be in your gut, which must, before being pecuniary, come from the heart.

60th Anniversary of the Common Agriculture Policy - 10 Million Farmers feeding Europe