Sustainable agriculture : what is it and why does it matter?.
Date: 2012-01-05
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development
Subjects: public awareness campaign, sustainable agriculture

The balancing act

Ensure supply 
of food (“food 
security”)

Protect animal 
and plant 
species 
(“biodiversity”)

Keep farms 
viable and 
competitive

Managenatural 
resources

Provide Countryside 
stewardship 

Sustainable 
agriculture

Maintain rural 
communities

Ensures animal 
welfare

Ensure fair 
standard of 
living for 
farm workers

Cut  greenhouse 
gas emissions

DG-AGRI_sustainabilty.V3.indd   1
DG-AGRI_sustainabilty.V3.indd   1

9/9/09   3:59:49 PM
9/9/09   3:59:49 PM

Sustainable agriculture?

K
F
-
8
1
-
0
8
-
4
6
1
-
E
N

-

D

"Isn't this just some fancy notion that doesn't aff  ect me?"

No, it is not! Most people agree that Europe should:
(cid:66)  ensure supply of safe and healthy food at 

reasonable prices;

(cid:66)  ensure a fair standard of living for farmers and farm 

workers;

(cid:66)  respect the environment and tackle the problem 

of climate change;

(cid:66) guarantee good treatment of farm animals
(cid:66) boost growth and jobs in rural areas.

We may not always think about the longer-term consequences 
of satisfying our hunger and slaking our thirst but somebody 
has to. 

It is important to protect rural areas and natural resources in the 
European Union for future generations. We have to make sure 
that farms are economically, socially and environmentally 
sustainable. How? What is at stake here? 

This short leafl et considers what we need to think about, 
what is being done and directs you towards more detailed 
information sources.

To fi nd out more:
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/envir/index_en.htm

European Commission
Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/

DG-AGRI_sustainabilty.V3.indd   2
DG-AGRI_sustainabilty.V3.indd   2

9/9/09   3:59:50 PM
9/9/09   3:59:50 PM

Sustainable Agriculture

What is it and why does it matter?

European Commission
Agriculture and Rural Development

DG-AGRI_sustainabilty.V3.indd   3
DG-AGRI_sustainabilty.V3.indd   3

9/9/09   3:59:55 PM
9/9/09   3:59:55 PM

What is sustainable 
agriculture?

Briefl y, it produces aff  ordable food that is healthy for 
consumers, respects the environment, treats workers 
and  animals  decently,  keeps  farming  businesses 
economically viable, provides landscape amenities and 
preserves valuable eco-systems and bio-diversity to the 
benefi t of rural communities.

PRODUCTION OF SAFE AND HEALTHY FOOD: Farms produce 
high quality food, thereby ensur ing that the food is safe and 
healthy.

CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES.  What is taken out 
of the environment is put back in, so resources such as water, soil 
and air can be replenished and are available to future generations. 
Chemical pesticides are used minimally, if at all.

COUNTRYSIDE STEWARDSHIP: Farms manage land  thereby 
preserving valuable habitats and bio-diversity. 

ANIMAL WELFARE. Animals are treated with respect and are well 
cared for. They are permitted to carry out their natural behaviour 
and are fed a natural diet appropriate for their species. 

ECONOMICALLY VIABLE. Farms generate enough income to keep 
going. Sustainable farms help strengthen rural communities. 

SOCIALLY JUST. Farms are agreeable places to work and to earn 
a living.

DG-AGRI_sustainabilty.V3.indd   4
DG-AGRI_sustainabilty.V3.indd   4

9/9/09   3:59:57 PM
9/9/09   3:59:57 PM

So what are we do

Income payments form the very basis of farm support. They 
stabilise the income of farm households and they are linked to 
the requirement to comply with basic standards in the fi eld of 
the environment, animal health and welfare, and food safety 
(cross-compliance). 

Farm income support is complemented by targeted measures 
applied under the EU’s rural development policy 2007 – 2013, 
which devotes a total of  € 225.7 billion (of which 90.8 billion is 
the EU contribution through the Common Agricultural Policy) 
to three so-called priority axes. 

 In brief, they seek to improve:
(cid:66)  the competitiveness of the agricultural 

and forestry sector, through fi nancial support for 
modernisation, re-structuring, training and advisory 
measures;

(cid:66)  the environment and countryside, for example by 

making payments to farmers dependent on their care 
for the environment, forests and both animal 
and plant health;

(cid:66)  the quality of life in rural areas, encouraging 

diversifi cation of the rural economy through assistance for 
new, off -farm economic activities.

The LEADER programme provides for the most locally led initiatives 
to support these 3 key areas.

To  fi nd  out  how  rural  development  works  in  more  detail, 
go to: http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/rurdev/index_en.htm

DG-AGRI_sustainabilty.V3.indd   5
DG-AGRI_sustainabilty.V3.indd   5

9/9/09   3:59:59 PM
9/9/09   3:59:59 PM

 
oing about it?

ORGANIC FARMING

In accordance with EU organic farming standards, we see:
(cid:66)  rotation of crops to protect the soil and break weed 

and pest cycles;

(cid:66)  the use of natural enemies of weeds and pests instead 

of chemicals; 

(cid:66)   animal and plant species that are well adapted to local 

conditions and resistant to disease, as well as; 

(cid:66)  raising livestock in the most natural conditions possible;
(cid:66)  protection of biodiversity by preserving native 
and endangered species of animals and plants. 

For more information, see www.organic-farming.eu

SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 
AND COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE

The CAP supports investments to conserve water, improve 
irrigation infrastructures and enable farmers to improve irrigation 
techniques. It also helps to protect water quality. Furthermore, 
the CAP provides support to reducing green house gas emissions 
and to protect soils.

COUNTRYSIDE STEWARDSHIP

The  CAP  supports  land  management  practices  that  help 
preserving environmentally valuable habitats, bio-diversity, and 
landscape amenities. Those assets are highly valued by society and 
they would deteriorate without agricultural land management 
that is well-adapted to site-specifi c requirements. 

CONCLUSION

This leafl et can only scratch the surface of the issue of sustainable 
agriculture but one message is clear: when living for today, we 
have to think of tomorrow.

DG-AGRI_sustainabilty.V3.indd   6
DG-AGRI_sustainabilty.V3.indd   6

9/9/09   4:00:01 PM
9/9/09   4:00:01 PM