Farm subsidies will be based on environmental and animal welfare improvements, rather than the total amount of land farmed, government confirms in new legislation. CATHERINE EARLY reports
Almost a trillion Euros in taxpayers' money is handed to EU farmers as part of the Common Agricultural Policy. The money is supposed to leverage environmental practices. But an international team of investigative journalists, today publishing with THE ECOLOGIST, has found the cash actually feeds significant pollution
The government promises a 'brighter future for farming'. This should apply to the Upland areas.
Farms here have evolved to provide a lot more than the traditional food, fibre and water. This means a new approach to land management is essential if these areas are to have real social value, argues DR LOIS MANSFIELD
Transylvania has maintained traditional farming methods for hundreds of years. As it faces the twin threats of intensive agriculture and byzantine EU policies, its model of under-development is attracting the interest of policy makers