Reflections from the 2nd meeting of the Thematic work group held in Brussels

On April 8, 2025, the EU CAP Network hosted the second Thematic Group (TG) meeting on Economic Vulnerability of Farming at its premises in Brussels. This in-person workshop brought together a diverse group of stakeholders and experts to tackle the major economic challenges affecting agriculture in Europe, such as price volatility, soaring input costs, global competition, and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events.

This meeting built upon the outcomes of the first TG meeting, which was held online. Participants from across Europe gathered virtually to share insights and discuss themes related to vulnerability in the farming sector. The key ideas and proposals developed during that session were then consolidated and brought forward for deeper discussion and refinement in Brussels.

I attended this event on behalf of the MaYA Foundation, following a competitive application process. With high demand for participation, attendees were carefully selected through a formal shortlisting procedure. Attending such an event was insightful, allowing me to contribute to such an important conversation.

Collaborative Solutions and Thematic Focus Areas

During the second meeting, participants were divided into four thematic groups to debate and refine proposals elaborated during the TG’s in-between activities. These discussions were designed to generate practical, policy-relevant ideas that could inform CAP strategies and national approaches. The core areas of focus were:

• Enhanced diversification support for farm businesses
• Reducing transaction costs for insurance mechanisms
• A European Exchange Programme for co-operatives
• The creation of an Agriculture Discussion Platform to foster ongoing dialogue and collaboration

The working groups were collaborative and constructive, aiming to address systemic challenges through shared learning and innovative thinking.

Insights from Across Europe

Throughout the day, participants heard from speakers who presented inspiring and practical approaches being implemented across Europe:

• Paola Grossi (Asnacodi Italia) shared how mutual funds are enabling Italian farmers to manage risk collectively.
• Lukasz Czech (AgroWe) highlighted the role of agricultural insurance and CAP implementation in Poland.
• Frank Pisters (VAB) introduced the Dutch model of study clubs, which empower farmers to learn from each other and improve their business strategies.
• Niccolò Ciulli (EuroCommerce) explored ideas for fair remuneration schemes that could contribute to greater economic sustainability in farming.

These case studies brought fresh energy to the discussions and reinforced the importance of locally adapted, farmer-led solutions.

The main takeaways were:

• Look into alternative pathways to overcome farming’s economic challenges

• Ease bureaucracy burden faced by EU farmers

• Overcome funding constraints in the EU agricultural sector

• Discuss the current mechanisms in the CAP’s tool box for risk prevention and risk management

• Identify and include missing elements in the CAP to better address economic vulnerability of farming

• Refine proposals on how to better respond to economic vulnerability of farming

• Share responsibility and implement an action plan to tackle economic challenges relating to farming

Looking Ahead

The session concluded with an in-depth look at how the current CAP instruments are being used, and how they might be improved, to better support farmers who are most economically vulnerable.

🔗 For more information, visit the official event page:
2nd meeting of the Thematic Group on Economic Vulnerability of Farming