A platform constituted by the 15 main Portuguese Non-Governmental Organizations for the Environment (NGOs) today accused the Ministry of Agriculture of «ignoring appointed experts, academics and NGOs in the preparation of the Strategic Plan of the CAP», thus putting «People and Environment".
According to the statement, the Strategic Plan for the CAP 2023-27, in Portugal, "puts into question the future of national biodiversity and the quality of life of the populations". This fundamental policy instrument for the future of people and nature “must be more sustainable, fair and beneficial from an environmental, social and economic point of view”, considers the platform.
Following the position taken by 14 Portuguese NGOs at the beginning of this month of July, which considered the proposed structure of the PEPAC for Portugal by the GPP/Ministry of Agriculture “a potential attack on nature and national biodiversity, which is the basis of all life, 9 of the experts invited by the GPP to accompany the process have made public their position of concern about the new CAP».
In fact, some of these experts “have already resigned from monitoring the process. In April of this year, more than 100 academics published a manifesto exposing the challenges facing national agriculture and calling for this sector to make a true ecological transition».
Everyone's concerns are evident: agriculture is one of the main causes of biodiversity loss in the European Union; in Portugal it is the main consumer of water; and the sector also needs to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and other impacts on biodiversity. However, the 15 NGOs stress in their communiqué, “the proposals so far presented during the preparation of the PEPAC do not respond to any of these challenges”.
On the contrary, the information available on the GPP website, about the structure of the PEPAC, «makes it clear that the intentions of the Portuguese State for the application of the financing of the CAP 2023-27 did not undergo significant changes compared to the previous community framework». In other words, “it continues to carry out a real reform of the application of this policy in Portugal, capable of operating a transformative change in the agricultural sector and in food systems, with a view to their environmental and social sustainability”.
The platform considers that "the document, as it stands, will not adequately contribute to the fulfillment of the objectives of the European Ecological Pact".
“Until now, the Minister of Agriculture has ignored experts, NGOs, science, public health, in short, civil society that demands a more sustainable planet for the next generations. The NGOs sought to contribute to the PEPAC with concrete proposals sent to the
last year in July, most of which were not reflected in the documents put up for public consultation at the end of the year”, the organizations say.
“Some of these contents are very worrying and call into question the 2030 Biodiversity Strategy, the Prado à Prato Strategy and the EU targets in terms of mitigation and adaptation to climate change”, they add.
The NGOs also recall that the first version of the document should have been made public during the month of July, “but its publication has now been pushed to September, when Portugal has to present its proposal to the European Commission by 1 January, the which makes you fear the worst – more of the same, avoiding the consequent debate and participation of the whole society».
The platform also underlines that "the Minister of Agriculture continues to ignore all these voices that represent civil society, and who have already said that it is necessary to change the contents of the PEPAC and the way in which this process is being conducted."
The minister "cannot continue to ignore the proposals made by the NGOs, by academics and by experts", they reinforce.
In their communiqué, the 15 environmental organizations defend that “the PEPAC is extremely important for Portugal to channel its share of the CAP budget, which represents about a third of the entire EU budget: the new CAP will determine not only the type of food production that we will have in the future, which must be in balance with the planet, but also the nature that we want and that we have the right to have back and which is the protective shield of humanity».
Therefore, they consider, «the architecture proposal of the Portuguese PEPAC requires a profound revision», since «the current proposal is neither positive for the environment nor for the climate».
Thus, the NGOs have five requirements:
1. a CAP that rewards those who really do best, compensating farmers according to the level of improvements in environmental and climate performance.
2. a CAP that produces sustainable food, ensuring that at least 30% of direct production aid also contributes to environmental and climate benefits.
3. a CAP that promotes biodiversity by creating more space for nature, and favoring ALL farms that promote GREATER biodiversity values and landscape elements, especially in the Natura 2000 Network.
4. a CAP that meets the goals of the Paris Agreement and is consistent with national policies to adapt to and combat climate change.
5. a CAP that does not support new irrigation projects that threaten the conservation of agro-ecosystems and the good condition of our aquifers, rivers and streams, as well as the people and biodiversity that depend on them.
They also argue that “the PEPAC must also contribute to the fight against climate change through the decarbonization of the Food System, which among several things includes: shortening supply chains, promoting local food systems, producing healthy food in a sustainable way. , for using in a sustainable way natural resources (in particular soil and water) and production factors».
Ending their communiqué, the NGOs said they were "available to coordinate efforts with these and more voices from civil society, including participation in a platform that will be created to work with the Ministry of Agriculture in the urgent reformulation of the PEPAC".
List of signatory organizations:
A ROCHA – Christian Association for the Study and Defense of the Environment
ADPM – Association for the Defense of the Heritage of Mértola
VILLAGE – Action, Freedom, Development, Education, Research, Environment
Almargem – Association for the Defense of the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Algarve
ANP|WWF – Associação Natureza Portugal, in association with WWF
ATN - Transhumance and Nature Association
FAPAS – Portuguese Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity
GEOTA – Spatial Planning and Environment Study Group
LPN – League for the Protection of Nature
PALOMBAR – Nature and Rural Heritage Conservation
QUERCUS – National Association for the Conservation of Nature
SPEA – Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds
SPB – Portuguese Society of Botany
SPECO – Portuguese Society of Ecology
ZERO – Sustainable Terrestrial System Association
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