Highlights report - 2nd meeting of the Thematic Group on Economic Vulnerability of Farming

The meeting started with a summary of the outcomes of the 1st Thematic Group (TG) meeting and the work carried out since then, including through informal TG meetings. Four TG members then took the floor and outlined various approaches to addressing economic vulnerability: mutual funds funded via the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) in Italy, crop insurance in Poland, study clubs in the Netherlands, and a supply chain perspective on the various types of remuneration schemes addressing economic vulnerability.

The meeting continued with TG members discussing in groups some proposals for addressing the economic vulnerability outlined through previous TG work. These pathways concern ways to 'Diversify to thrive': strengthening farm resilience and income through tailored support; reducing farm income vulnerability by enhancing participation in risk management tools through lower transaction costs; an Erasmus-style approach for education/sharing good practices and business solutions; and targeted strategies to address financial, digital and bureaucratic barriers.

The discussion continued after the presentation of insights from an EU CAP network survey aimed at understanding how Managing Authorities in different Member States are addressing economic vulnerability in agriculture. TG members overall indicated that a future CAP should include an explicit, coherent and ambitious framework to address the economic vulnerability of farming and that future policy should focus on building business resilience and boosting risk management.