More than 300 farmer and rural community representatives, Government officials at all levels and academics from all EU member states took part in open discussions to draft the declaration – a process one of the organisers said involved “thousands of multi-coloured post-it notes”.

For example, the sessions on environmental issues started by listing everything farmers and rural communities have to offer in providing clean air and water, climate change solutions and safe food – and what hinders them from making progress.

The participants then boiled it down to proposals for future rural development programmes, including the remark that we need “a carrot, not stick, approach because it doesn’t work for farmers”.

The best I can offer for the climate is to graze animals

Farmers’ interests were robustly defended at various points in the conference. When Janez Potocnik of the UN environment programme gave a presentation recommending that we “reorient away from resource-intensive products such as meat”, Dominique Fayel of the French farmers union FNSEA stood up and replied: “I farm in a mountain region with 80% pasture where tillage farming is very difficult. Maintaining pastures is necessary to store carbon. The best I can offer for the climate is to graze animals.”

European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan listed last year’s Paris climate agreement among the major changes that will influence future rural development policy.

“Restore trust” after Brexit

The frustration expressed through the recent Brexit vote in the UK evidently influenced the process too. There were repeated calls to simplify rural development programmes, “restore trust” in European policy and involve local people in its elaboration.

Slovakian agriculture minister Gabriela Matecna, who currently chairs the council of EU agriculture ministers, said: “The CAP... can overcome differences between member states, but it must be explained to our citizens.”

Policy has to deliver in a most cost-efficient way

Brexit will also mean a smaller European budget and more scrutiny of EU spending. “We need to invest in governance,” Hogan said. “Policy has to deliver in a most cost-efficient way by targeting operations to local needs, while ensuring ambitious contributions to EU objectives.”

According to European Investment Bank director Werner Schmidt, new financial instruments are required to make up for a shortfall in direct rural development payments, as “further cuts are very likely after 2020”. This could mean using small amounts of public money to provide seed capital or secure loans for rural development projects. This could, in turn, attract other sources of funding from banks or private investors who would not otherwise support such projects.

Both Commissioner Hogan and his predecessor at the time of the first Cork conference, Franz Fischler (pictured), questioned the very existence of the so-called second pillar of the current CAP encompassing rural development programmes.

Listen to Hogan and Fischler’s comments in our podcast below:

US approach

Many comments made in Cork connected with the US approach presented by White House rural policy adviser Doug O’Brien. He said the vast majority of rural development funding there goes towards guaranteeing bank loans to farmers and rural businesses.

In addition, US rural development advisers work directly with local communities most in need of support to help them access existing assistance in areas such as housing, health and transport, rather than design programmes specifically for them.

Whatever their format, O’Brien said: “It is essential that rural development programmes benefit the nation as a whole.” He joined many European speakers in highlighting that many solutions to modern society’s questions around food, secure energy supply and environmental services are found in rural areas – part of the policy challenge is to explain their value to all citizens.

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Editorial: Cork 2.0 declaration for “a better life in rural areas”