A survey published yesterday looks at European attitudes towards agriculture and the CAP. The survey was carried out in the 28 Member States of the European Union between 17 and 26 October 2015. 27,822 EU citizens from different social and demographic categories were interviewed face-to-face at home and in their native language on behalf of the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development.

Agriculture in the EU: perceived importance and main objectives of the EU

§ A growing majority of Europeans consider agriculture and rural areas as important for the future, with more than nine out of ten respondents holding this view. In fact, more than six Europeans in ten consider agriculture and rural areas to be “very important”. In the UK 66% of respondents agreed with this statement.

§ Europeans consider the main responsibilities of farmers to be supplying the population with a diversity of quality products (42%) and ensuring the welfare of farmed animals (35%). Ranked fourth in the last survey, this latter responsibility has become increasingly important to respondents in many countries.

§ More than half of Europeans think the EU’s main objectives in terms of agriculture and rural development policy should be ensuring agricultural products are of good quality, healthy and safe (56%) and ensuring reasonable food prices for consumers (51%).

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP): Awareness, importance and impact

§ An increasing number of Europeans have heard about the support the EU gives farmers through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) since the last survey (69%, +5 since 2013). But only one in ten claim to know the details and a third still say they have never heard of it. 

§ Europeans believe the EU is fulfilling its role in securing the food supply in the EU (70% agree) and in ensuring agricultural products are of good quality, healthy and safe (65%).

Whilst an absolute majority agree the EU is fulfilling its role in ensuring a fair standard of living for farmers (52%), a high proportion of respondents do not hold this view (35% disagree). Similarly, important minorities disagree the EU is fulfilling its role in ensuring reasonable food prices (33% disagree) and protecting the environment (31% disagree).

§ The majority of Europeans consider all of the listed priorities of the CAP to be important, with two priorities mentioned more often as being “very important”: investing in rural areas to stimulate economic growth and job creation (47%), and strengthening the farmer’s role in the food chain (45%).

§ Respondents believe the contribution the CAP brings to the EU is in improving trade relations between the EU and the rest of the world (66% agree) and helping with the smooth running of the EU single market (65% agree). Slightly less so are of the view the CAP contributes to extending coverage of broadband Internet and communication services in rural areas (54%).

§ Majority of Europeans continue to agree the CAP benefits all citizens and not only farmers, however support has declined importantly since 2013 (62%, down15 percentage points since 2013).

Financial aid for farmers and the CAP budget

§ 41% of Europeans consider the amount of financial aid given to farmers to be “about right”, however support has declined (-4 percentage points since 2013). An increasing proportion of respondents hold the view this amount is “too low” (29%, +3) and 13% think it is “too high” (unchanged).

§ According to Europeans, the three most mentioned reasons why the EU spends such a significant proportion of its budget on the CAP are: financial aid to farmers makes it possible to guarantee the food supply of Europeans (40%, -4 percentage points since 2013); financial aid ensures the sustainable production of food products (33%, -5pp); the heavy human and financial investment required by agriculture (32%, +4pp).

§ Close to half of Europeans would like to see an increase in the EU financial support for farmers over the next ten years (45%, +6 percentage points since 2009) and only 13% say they would like to see a decrease.

§ More than four out of five Europeans consider it is “justified” to reduce farmers’ subsidy payments if they do not respect the rules for the environment, animal welfare and food safety. Since the last survey, European opinions have strengthened on this topic.

§ The large majority of Europeans are in favour of the EU continuing to pay farmers for carrying out agricultural practices that are beneficial to the climate and the environment (87%, vs. 6% “opposed”).

The perceived importance of agriculture and rural areas in the EU.

Majority of Europeans consider agriculture and rural areas to be important; almost two thirds now believe agriculture to be “very important” for their future.

Europeans were asked how important they think agriculture and rural areas are for their future, within the EU.

More than nine out of ten respondents in the EU (94%) hold the view that agriculture and rural areas are important for their future. This represents a 2-point increase since the previous survey conducted in November 2013.

Public opinion has strengthened on this topic: a large proportion of Europeans now consider these areas to be “very important” for their future, with notable increases in the level of importance from the previous surveys (62%, +9 percentage points since 2013, +16pp since 2009).  In the UK 66% felt it was very important.

Whilst the majority of respondents across all EU Member States, consider both agriculture and rural areas to be important for their future, there are differences across countries with regards to the degree of importance respondents have in regards to these areas: at least four out of five respondents in Luxembourg (85%), Slovenia (81%) and Malta (80%) consider agriculture and rural areas to be “very important”. In comparison, just around half of respondents in Italy (50%), Poland (51%) and the Netherlands (53%) consider these areas to be “very important” for their future. Very small proportions of respondents across all countries believe agricultural and rural areas are “not important” ranging from 1% in Luxembourg and Portugal to 9% of respondents in Latvia. 

The two main responsibilities of farmers are supplying the population with a diversity of quality products and ensuring the welfare or farmed animals

As in the previous survey, EU respondents are most likely to mention “supplying the population with a diversity of quality products” (42%, +4 percentage points since 2013) as one the top main responsibilities for farmers in our society. This is the top responsibility attributed to farmers in 18 Member States. It is least mentioned in the United Kingdom and Denmark, where 30% of respondents believe this to be a main responsibility for farmers

The second most mentioned responsibility is “ensuring the welfare of farmed animals” (35%).

This particular responsibility has also experienced notable increased support since the last survey (+8pp), when it was ranked as the fifth most mentioned responsibility. This is the leading responsibility in six Member States with more than half of respondents in most of these countries considering this to be the main responsibility of farmers in their society. The countries with the highest proportion of respondents attributing this responsibility to farmers are Sweden (58%), the Netherlands (56%), Luxembourg (56%) and the UK (55%).

“Protecting the environment” comes in third position (30%). In Denmark this ranked second with 44%. In both France (40%) and the UK at (32%) it was the considered the third main responsibility of farmers.

Only 25% mentioned a farmer’s main responsibility to be “ensuring the EU’s food self sufficiency”; and since 2013, support has declined by four percentage points. In the UK this was ranked 4th at 24%.

The least mentioned responsibility for farmers by Europeans is “encouraging and improving life in the countryside”.

Maintaining economic activity and employment in rural areas is the main responsibility in three Member States with more than half of respondents from Estonia (56%, +4 percentage points since 2013) and Latvia (53%, -1pp) attributing this to farmers as their main responsibility for society. Respondents in Spain (41%, -8pp) equally mentioned “maintaining economic activity and employment in rural areas” and “supplying the population with a diversity of quality products” as a farmer’s responsibility in our society. In the UK 24% of respondents ranked this as the main responsibility. Since the 2013 survey, support for this responsibility has declined in 25 Member States.

Ensuring the EU’s food self-sufficiency is not the leading responsibility in any Member States, however it is most mentioned by respondents in Germany (42%, +5 percentage points since 2013) and Slovenia (38%, -12pp) and least mentioned in Latvia (9%, -5pp). In the UK 24% ranked this first. 

The majority of Europeans agree the EU is fulfilling its role in securing the food supply and ensuring products are of good quality, healthy and safe. However, respondents seem less convinced the EU is fulfilling its role in developing rural areas (56%), ensuring reasonable food prices (56%), protecting the environment (55%) and ensuring a fair standard of living for farmers (52%). Whilst the majority agree the EU is fulfilling its role in these areas, a high proportion of Europeans disagree the EU is fulfilling its role in ensuring a fair standard of living for farmers (35%), reasonable food prices (33%), protecting the environment (31%) and developing rural areas while preserving the countryside (28%).

Ensuring a fair standard of living for farmers: in 20 of the 28 EU Member States, more than half of respondents agree the EU is fulfilling its role in ensuring a fair standard of living for farmers. Respondents in Ireland (69%), Hungary (69%) and Malta (68%) are more likely to agree with this statement than respondents in France (34%), Estonia (34%) and Sweden (42%).

There are five Member States where there are a higher proportion of respondents disagreeing with the statement, than are in agreement: France (54%), Latvia (49%), Estonia (48%), but also Spain (45% disagree vs. 44% agree) and Sweden (43% vs. 42%), where public opinion is divided. Respondents in Spain and France appear to have highest proportion who “totally disagree” with the view, the EU is fulfilling its role, with 21% of respondents in both countries reporting they “totally disagree” with the statement.

About one in five respondents in the United Kingdom (23%) and Italy (22%) claim they “don’t know” whether the EU is fulfilling its role in ensuring a fair standard of living for farmers.

Protecting the environment and tackling climate change: in all but one EU Member State, the relative majority of respondents agree the EU is fulfilling its role in protecting the environment and tackling climate change. Levels of agreement from respondents across countries are wide ranging, from highs in Hungary (75%), the Netherlands (74%) and Malta (70%) to a low of 36% of respondents in France.

In France, 47% of respondents disagree the EU is fulfilling its role through the CAP in protecting the environment. The levels of disagreement amongst respondents in France were split between “totally disagree” (18%) and “tend to disagree” (29%).

More than a quarter of respondents in Estonia (28%) and the United Kingdom (26%) responded that they “don’t know”.

In the UK 13% totally agreed and 48% tended to agree.

Does the CAP only benefit farmers?

The majority of Europeans continue to agree the CAP benefits all citizens and not only farmers, however support has declined since 2013

Respondents were asked to what extent they agreed the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) benefits all European citizens and not only farmers12. This question was also asked during the previous survey conducted in November 2013.

More than six Europeans in ten (62%) agree that the CAP benefits all European citizens and not only farmers. Since the last survey conducted in 2013, there is a 15-point decline in “total agreement”.

The proportion of respondents who disagree with the statement has increased by six percentage points (from 16% up to 22%) since 2013. Respondents are also more likely to respond with “don’t know” (16%, +9pp). 

Almost one third of respondents in the United Kingdom (29%) did not know whether the CAP benefited all Europeans and  the proportion of respondents who answered “don’t know” has increased since 2013 (from 12% up to 29%). High proportions of respondents in Italy and France also shared the same view (19%).

Full report here