Künast ploughs on against intensive farming practices

Date: 29/11/01

By Laurence Frost

GERMAN Agriculture Minister Renate Künast has stepped up her crusade against intensive farming practices and subsidies, calling for "de-coupling of financial aids from production".

The firebrand Green was a featured speaker at a "farm-to-fork' food safety conference hosted by European Voice last Thursday (22 November).

Künast, who is seeking to increase organic production to 20 of all food in her own country, said ordinary people were ready to pay the price for higher quality food that would cause less environmental damage and pose fewer health risks.

"Many [consumers] are perfectly prepared to reward quality," she told the conference. "They are willing to dig deeper into their pockets

for animal and environmental protection. They are prepared to support a type of farming providing the services they desire."

Germany and the UK are among several EU countries that want to see subsidies cut across the board in next year's mid-term review of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP). But Franz Fischler, the farm commissioner, last week suggested a more targeted approach to address sectors in difficulty.

The last attempt to rein in CAP spending under the Agenda 2000 programme was watered down after France threatened to veto the reforms.

German Agriculture Minister Renate Künast has stepped up her crusade against intensive farming practices and subsidies, calling for 'de-coupling of financial aids from production'.