In the run up to the debate on the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), Copa and Cogeca called on the EU to continue focusing specific support on developing Producer Organisations (POs) such as cooperatives in the EU fruit and vegetables sector during the EU Commission Civil Dialogue Group held this week.
Chairman of Copa & Cogeca Fruit and Vegetable Working Party Philippe Appeltans said “Over 1 million farms in the EU produce nutritious fruit and vegetables generating a total turnover of 50 billion euros, which is21 % of the EU final agricultural value. This is an important sector for 500 million European citizens in terms of supplying them with healthy food, as well as for the development of rural areas, growth and jobs, with the sector accounting for 30 % of agricultural employment. It also plays an important role for the integration of migrants in terms of providing seasonal work”.
He continued “The specific support scheme for producer organisations in this sector is an efficient and modern tool to help improve the functioning of the food supply chain and to combat unfair trading practices. Moreover, producers who join cooperatives are more resilient to market crises as shown during the E. Coli crisis and Russian export embargo”.
Copa and Cogeca consequently urge the EU keep the specific definition and regime for fruit and vegetable producer organisations in the future CAP and to prolong the support scheme for this sector as it’s an efficient tool to help producers remain viable”, he concluded. The move comes ahead of the debate on the future CAP.
