The EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has become Europe's problem child. Vested interests behind one of the Union's oldest policies threaten to derail Europe's ambitious new climate, biodiversity and food strategies. In this episode, we deep dive into the controversial CAP - over €350 billion of taxpayer money spent on European farming - and discuss if there is still any hope in reforming a policy that continues to baffle and disappoint many of Europe's citizens, farmers, and scientists. We are joined by conservation biologist Dr. Guy Pe'er from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research in Leipzig, Germany. We discuss:

What the CAP is, including a brief history
What is happening in the negotiations and why the stakes are so high
A detailed step-by-step scientific critique of the current proposal
Debunking common claims made by politicians that the CAP is more ambitious, provides stability and ensures food security
How the power of lobbying and conflicts of interest shape the CAP
Different paths forward for policy makers and individuals

Links:

8 December 2020 - The EU Common Agricultural Policy and Sustainable Farming: A Statement by scientists
3 March 2020 - Common Agricultural Policy reform: More than 3600 researchers call for science to be taken into consideration
November 5 2019 - NYT Investigation "The Money Farmers: How Oligarchs and Populists Milk the E.U. for Millions"

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