CAP costs consumers 16 a week
12 December 2001
‘CAP costs consumers 16 a week’
By Alistair Driver
THE Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) costs the UK 5 billion – the equivalent of 2p on income tax, says the Consumers Association.
In a new report, the association says the CAP should be abolished because it costs European Union families the equivalent of 16 a week each.
The association says the farm subsidy policy takes up about half the total EU budget of 27bn and benefits neither farmers nor consumers.
The report, Setting Aside the CAP – the future of food production, argues that consumers are effectively paying twice for their food.
It says it is no longer realistic to simply tinker with the policy.
“Fundamental flaws” require radical reform and an end to the outdated belief in farm production support, it adds.
The association says the CAP is poor value for taxpayers, keeps EU food prices higher than in other countries and distorts markets.
It also fails to support farmers.
Three-quarters of land in the UK is used for agriculture, but farm incomes are falling and farming now contributes less than 1% to the economy.
The policy encourages intensive farming and fails to tackle food quality, animal welfare and environment issues, the association argues.
It wants the CAP to be phased out and replaced with a strategy focusing on the modern needs of consumers.
“The production of basic agricultural commodities should be left to the market,” the report says.
Published as the government considers the future of food production, the report is designed to push UK ministers further down the road to reform.
It follows the recent publication of a similar report by former Ministry of Agriculture permanent secretary Richard Packer.
- Which Online – Consumers Association website (external site)
- Haskins: Moment of truth for farms, FWi, 11 December, 2001
- Abolish all subsidies – MAFF ex-chief, FWi, 3 December, 2001