December 13, 2022. The European Parliament has adopted a resolution on a Long Term Vision for Rural Development in the EU. The challenges facing the agricultural sector: the climate crisis, lack of succession on farms, intensification, a steady decline in the number of smaller farms, and the challenges facing rural development: inequality, the consequences of climate change, an aging population, communication and infrastructure exclusion, are undoubtedly the most important tasks for decision-makers for the next few years. Rural areas must be supported regardless of the agricultural sector, especially since employment in this sector is steadily declining and rural residents are working in other industries. The Common Agricultural Policy faces the need to transform and the way food is produced and approached, strategies to develop the areas that people throughout the EU inhabit. Rural areas account for about 83% of the EU’s total territory and are home to some 137 million people (30% of the EU population). Rural development is a key issue for the implementation of the European Green Deal, the Farm to Table strategy.

Photo: European Parliament