(Amsterdam) Ursula Soyez, a Program Officer with the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) produced a podcast today (Wed., May 30) on the GMF EU Journalism Study Tour.
After meeting with the leaders from COPA-COGECA, and Mr. Lars Hoelgaard, Deputy Director General of Agriculture at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, as well as other agricultural experts from the EU Commission, Ursula took the perspective from some of those participating in the Journalism Tour.
Ursula spoke with Todd Gleason, from the University of Illinois and WILL AM-580 public radio, Charles Ray of South Dakota Public Broadcasting and me, Keith Good of FarmPolicy.com.
Ursula Soyez, a Program Officer with the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) and Charles Ray of South Dakota Public Broadcasting on a train from Brussels to Amsterdam.
(Below) Todd Gleason of the University of Illinois and WILL AM-580 Radio
Note: The GMF EU Journalism Study Tour is now in Brussels. Later today we will be attending a press briefing at the European Commission and will also be meeting with a Deputy Director General of Agriculture at the Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development. In the meantime, I have written a brief news summary regarding issues associated with EU biofuels production and the Doha round of WTO trade talks.
Biofuels
Elisabeth Rosenthal, writing in today’s New York Times, reported that, “The previous growing season, this lush coastal field near Rome was filled with rows of delicate durum wheat, used to make high-quality pasta. Today it overflows with rapeseed, a tall, gnarled weedlike plant bursting with coarse yellow flowers that has become a new manna for European farmers: rapeseed can be turned into biofuel.
“Motivated by generous subsidies to develop alternative energy sources — and a measure of concern about the future of the planet — Europe’s farmers are beginning to grow crops that can be turned into fuels meant to produce fewer emissions than gas or oil. They are chasing their counterparts in the Americas who have been raising crops for biofuel for more than five years.”
While in Poland today, we focused on two issues associated with the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), developments regarding relatively small farms, and on how the EU is assisting these smaller producers in some of the new EU Member states. Recall that there are approximately 11 million farmers in the EU and two million in Poland.
To start the day, we visited with Mr. Jerzy Bloniarz, a farm operator and Head of the Zegocina Commune, which is located about 45 minutes from Krakow. We quizzed him about the type and amount of payments he receives via the CAP and through an interpreter; he walked us through the different types of CAP payments that are available to him and offered a bit of detail about each one.
To listen to this exchange detailing some particulars regarding CAP subsidy payments, just click here (MP3)
Mr. Jerzy Bloniarz, a farm operator and Head of the Zegocina Commune answering questions from some of the group.
Later, over a traditional farm lunch of potatoes, beets, fresh bread, chicken and fried pork, we conversed with Mr. Grabowski, who also operates a small farm near Krakow. Mr. Grabowski has diversified his operation by adding an “Agri-Tourism” side to his business.
As these pictures display, the countryside in this part of Poland is very picturesque and provides a very inviting environment for visitors from Poland, other EU countries and America who want to enjoy time away to relax and enjoy the fresh amenities of the countryside.
We also questioned Mr. Grabowski about the details of the support he receives via the CAP and he elaborated on this, and other issues, regarding his farm.
Mr. Grabowski taking questions from some of the group prior to our lunch.
As the day came to a close, we met with Ms. Anna Gras who also operated a successful Agri-Toursim business on her farm. We had a several course dinner of delicious Polish cuisine and enjoyed live music as well (click here to listen- MP3).
The meetings today certainly provided a different perspective on EU agriculture, particularly with respect to large grain production operations that I am more accustomed with in Central Illinois.
The flexibility of some forms of CAP payments appear to allow producers to pursue alternative options with respect to how they want to operate their farm; however, like the U.S. Farm Bill, details of the subsidy programs can be difficult to grasp.
Within the broader context of domestic support and the CAP’s impact on trade, it seemed as though the subsidies that assisted these producers in developing an Agri-Toursim model are generally non-trade distorting and that the total agricultural production generated from these types of smaller operations would have a negligible impact on total product supply.
This particular region also seems to enjoy a comparative advantage with respect to a landscape that is ideally suited for alternative Agri-Toursim activities, unlike the flat near barren landscapes of Central Illinois which are generally best used for large-scale grain production.
Keith Good
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Posted by Keith Good • May, 28, 2007 • 4:13 pm
(Krakow, Poland)- Today I had the opportunity to speak with Jack Thurston, a London based Transatlantic Fellow with the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
Jack provided an excellent overview of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) touching on the origins of the CAP, as well as highlighting recent reforms in some CAP programs.
Jack also provided analysis with respect to the “CAP Health Check.” He explained the idea beyond the check, technical aspects of what government entities will be involved and detailed some potential outcomes of the Health Check.
Special Update: GMF Journalism Study Tour
European Agriculture in the 21st Century: Perspectives from the Farm
From May 26 through June 3, the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) will be sponsoring a Journalism Study Tour in the European Union.
Nine journalists, from radio and print media outlets including, The Des Moines Register, St. Louis-Post Dispatch, KSMU-FM Ozarks Public Radio (Springfield, Missouri), NET Radio (Lincoln, Nebraska), WILL AM 580 Public Radio (Champaign, Illinois), The Minneapolis Star-Tribune, South Dakota Public Radio and The Washington Post will be touring the European Union to learn more about EU agriculture.
I will also be joining the group along with GMF Transatlantic Fellow Jack Thurston.
The group will be visiting with farmers, policy makers and other EU agricultural stakeholders in Poland, Belgium, The Netherlands and France.
At a time when the Doha Development Agenda is held up by the inability of the EU and the U.S. to agree on changes to their farm support programs, and with the U.S. Farm Bill debate well underway and a “Health Check” for the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) scheduled for 2008, it is a critical time for U.S. journalists to make comparative analysis between the different political aspects of agriculture in Europe and the U.S. and also observe how the policies translate into practice on European farms.
As the trip unfolds, I hope to post pictures and summary write ups that will provide FarmPolicy.com readers with information and perspective that will be helpful as debate over the future direction of U.S. farm policy is taking place.
I also plan on posting audio podcasts that will include additional insight from participants on the tour and individuals that we meet.
As a prelude to the trip, I had the opportunity yesterday to sit down and speak with Will Bohlen, the Senior Communications Officer for GMF at his office in Washington, D.C.
(Right) Will Bohlen, the Senior Communications Officer for GMF at his office in Washington, D.C.
Will provided a short history of GMF, detailed some of the goals of the organization and also addressed the issue of agriculture as an emerging transatlantic economic policy development.
In addition, Will explained how the goals of GMF are being forward by the EU Journalism Tour and talked in more detail about the trip including where we will be going and some aspects of EU farm policy that we may encounter.
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