European Policies:
EU policy focuses on income fluctuations and fixed pre-determined payments.
Common Agricultural Policy, or CAP, is a policy in the EU which provides subsidies to families running small farms, as defined by the European Commission. The CAP is the overarching policy and regulation for agriculture in Europe. It is divided into two "pillars." The first pillar is concerned with direct income aids and market management measures and accounts for over 3/4 the yearly CAP budget. The remaining budget goes towards the second "pillar." The second pillar funds the rural development program that is designed to encourage structural change in agriculture so that there is an improvement in land management, which would improve the daily life of rural areas. These policies within CAP look to help the "underdog" which in America is the Family Farm. In the US, we do not place necessity on these family farms and the USDA has failed at helping the "underdog" but rather encourages the bullying corporate farm, which drives the rural family farms deeper into danger. Europe seeks to expand these rural farms, whereas America seeks to hide them behind corporatized farming that is funded by the federal government. The substitution of direct payments for market price support allows these policies to target family farms. The new rural development regulations does not explicitly mention family farms, but rather small farms, which umbrellas family farms along with several co-operative farm types (neighbors combining farms, etc).
Europe's agricultural success is, however, based on the family farm model which has a key function of output and input markets, well trained farmers, and new technology with support from research and extension services. This is a socially motivated model and constrains the growth of the very large farms, which helps to address the poverty and lack of opportunity for the very small farms, and small and medium sized family farms.
Common Agricultural Policy, or CAP, is a policy in the EU which provides subsidies to families running small farms, as defined by the European Commission. The CAP is the overarching policy and regulation for agriculture in Europe. It is divided into two "pillars." The first pillar is concerned with direct income aids and market management measures and accounts for over 3/4 the yearly CAP budget. The remaining budget goes towards the second "pillar." The second pillar funds the rural development program that is designed to encourage structural change in agriculture so that there is an improvement in land management, which would improve the daily life of rural areas. These policies within CAP look to help the "underdog" which in America is the Family Farm. In the US, we do not place necessity on these family farms and the USDA has failed at helping the "underdog" but rather encourages the bullying corporate farm, which drives the rural family farms deeper into danger. Europe seeks to expand these rural farms, whereas America seeks to hide them behind corporatized farming that is funded by the federal government. The substitution of direct payments for market price support allows these policies to target family farms. The new rural development regulations does not explicitly mention family farms, but rather small farms, which umbrellas family farms along with several co-operative farm types (neighbors combining farms, etc).
Europe's agricultural success is, however, based on the family farm model which has a key function of output and input markets, well trained farmers, and new technology with support from research and extension services. This is a socially motivated model and constrains the growth of the very large farms, which helps to address the poverty and lack of opportunity for the very small farms, and small and medium sized family farms.
Sources:
http://capreform.eu/family-farming-and-the-role-of-policy-in-the-eu/
http://epthinktank.eu/2014/02/15/future-of-small-farms/
http://ecdpm.org/great-insights/family-farming-and-food-security/promoting-family-farming-european-union/
