“This Is Not a Farm”: Farmers Call out €386bn EU Policy as Small Farms Vanish – WeMove Europe

Farmers across the EU have pledged their support for This is Not a Farm, a campaign petitioning the EU for reforms to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Research shows up to 70% of farmers across key EU states say they feel forgotten, disrespected or unrecognised — despite being core to Europe’s food system WeMove Europe and small and pioneering farmers’ groups are urging citizens of the EU to sign a petition ahead of key CAP talks

A series of Magritte-inspired Surrealist artwork appeared outside the European Parliament – confronting policymakers with a visual warning about the future of farming in Europe, and a call to align the EU’s €386 billion farm subsidy system with the Green Deal. WeMove Europe, the independent campaign group made up of more than 750,000 people across Europe behind the stunt, have called for urgent CAP reform — demanding fairer subsidies, stronger market regulation, and greater support for sustainable, small-and medium-sized farms.

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BRUSSELS, BELGIUM: Sinister Portrayal Of Industrial Agriculture appears outside European Parliament as WeMove Europe calls for reforms to EU Farming policies in Brussels, Belgium. (Photo by Geert Vanden Wijngaert/Getty Images for WeMove Europe)

The action is backed by a coalition of farmer groups, environmental organisations and over 100,000 citizens across Europe. They argue the current subsidy system rewards intensive agriculture at the expense of small and sustainable farms. More than five million farms have disappeared across the EU since 2005, while 80% of CAP funds go to just 20% of recipients. Polling released earlier this year shows up to 70% of farmers in Spain, Italy and Poland feel forgotten by policymakers — despite most expressing pride in their work and support for environmental action.

Morgan Ody,a vegetable producer from Bretagne, France, and member of European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC), says: “Alongside ensuring fair prices, a strong CAP budget is essential to tackle the challenges farmers face today. But that public money must be used to keep rural areas alive by regulating markets and supporting the transition to agroecology and more sustainable food systems – not to fuel the industrialisation of farming or line shareholders’ pockets.”

Styled in homage to Magritte’s famous ‘Treachery of Images’, the artworks unveiled carry captions such as “Ceci n’est pas une pomme” and “Ceci n’est pas une ferme”. Their message: Europe’s farm policy no longer feeds people — it feeds corporate consolidation. The full collection is viewable at www.notfarming.com. The aim is to challenge outdated “postcard” perceptions of farming — and spark honest discussion among policymakers about who the current system really serves.

In many European areas, one in three farms has ceased operations, while subsidised overproduction drives prices so low that some farmers earn less than it costs them to produce. In France and Spain, for example, milk is often sold below production cost — a market failure propped up by the CAP.

Giulio Carini, communications manager at WeMove Europe says: “Our farming system is rigged. Small farmers are being pushed off the land while agribusiness giants cash in on public money. Discussions about the future of the CAP need to address what we are paying for, not just how much money is allocated to it. We need to support farmers and reward them for protecting our nature and climate, on which they rely. We’re calling on people across Europe to stand up for fair prices, healthy food, and a future where small sustainable farmers and nature can thrive. This is our moment to demand our EU leaders fix this broken system.”

In full, the coalition is calling for:

• Fair prices for farmers that reflect the full cost of sustainable food production
• Stronger market regulation, including supply management and minimum price guarantees
• Greater support for small and medium-sized farms over industrial agribusiness
• A just transition to agroecology to protect soil health, climate, biodiversity, and food sovereignty
• Access to healthy, sustainable food for all, ensuring that good food is affordable and available, and that people can make real choices about what they eat, without hidden environmental or health costs.

These reforms are essential not only for securing farmers’ futures, but also for delivering on the EU Green Deal — ensuring that Europe’s food system supports climate, nature and communities alike.

People across Europe can urge the EU to act by signing the petition at www.notfarming.com

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