In the EU, agriculture directly employs more than 10 million farmers. More than 77% of the Union’s territory is rural and home to half of its population. Overall, Europe’s agri-food industry accounts for 46 million jobs in 15 million businesses, accounting for 6% of the EU’s GDP.

However, agriculture is today facing many challenges, from an aging farm population, to need of investment, to the need to protect the environment. The Common Agricultural Policy has recently been reformed to respond to the current challenges. The CAP also aims at promoting economic growth and job creation in the agri-food sector.  

EurActiv invites you to participate in a high-level conference to discuss how investment in agriculture contributes to growth and jobs. Questions will include:

·         How is the CAP promoting the maintenance and creation of jobs in the agri sector?

·         European farming needs investment, where is it going precisely? How does it boost growth?

·         What measures are being put in place to support young farmers? What do young farmers need?

·         How can innovation and modernisation in agriculture support rural development?

·         Where do we expect growth to come from?

Panel contributors:

Mihail Dumitru, Deputy Director-General, DG AGRI

Matt Carthy, MEP, Member of AGRI Committee

Matej Hudec, Head of Agriculture and Fisheries Unit, Slovak Permanent Representation to the European Union 

Alan Jagoe, President, European Council of Young Farmers (CEJA)

Eric Drésin, Director, European Organisation of Agricultural and Rural Contractors (CEETTAR)

Arnd Spahn, Secretary for the Agriculture Sector, European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions (EFFAT) 

Francesca Bignami, Manager Economic Affairs, FoodDrinkEurope

Moderator:

Sarantis Michalopoulos, Journalist, EurActiv.com

Chair:

Natalie Sarkic-Todd, European Network and Projects Director, EurActiv

Programme:

15.40 – 16.00 Registration

16.00 – 17.00 Discussion

17.00 – 18.00 Q&A and final remarks

18.00 – 18.30 Networking reception

For more information, please contact Irene at irene.marchi@euractiv.com.

--

Action co-financed by the European Commission as part of the'Communicating the new CAP' project.