Most people like staying in the nature and take full advantage of its gifts. Much attention is paid to healthy eating – you must have wondered many times whether products in shops are not harmful. The EU makes many efforts to ensure the highest quality of food while protecting the environment and the landscape. Dating back to the 1970s, the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) develops more and more effective mechanisms of control and protection5.
Did you know that the amount of aid for farmers in the EU totalled 58.82 billion EUR in 2019? It accounts for approx. 35% of the entire budget of more than 160 billion EUR! This allows the EU to conduct many actions providing constant access to high-quality food, such as supporting the farmers’ income, preventing climate changes and maintaining dynamic rural communities6. This shows the importance of protection of the natural environment and people living in it in the eyes of world experts.
In order to pursue these goals, the European Union has developed good practices that every EU Member State undertakes to comply with. They refer primarily to the use of methods that minimise the adverse impact of agriculture on the surrounding nature. They include, e.g., sustainable farming, meadow maintenance or strict quality requirements of cultivations3. Hygiene standards, such as sewage management or the proper use of protective measures, are also taken care of.
Since the beginning of the agreement, the main focus has been on relevant education and the satisfaction of farmers’ basic needs. Their fulfilment gives farmers an opportunity and time to gain new knowledge about more efficient farming and the protection of their nearest environment. A well-educated man gains awareness and starts to feel the need for caring about our planet.
We can observe a high level of awareness also in the protection of waters1 – anti-contamination practices are known and used increasingly often by farmers2.
Thanks to gradual and effective education and financial aid, farming activities become a sphere of protection and production of environmental public goods, thereby broadening the traditional concept of public good4. You also benefit from the consistence of these actions! The food you eat and serve to your loved ones is of better quality, and the surrounding nature can still be beautiful!
