POLITICO about Roundtable discussion “Europe’s Agri-Food Value Chain: Navigating Trade Pressure and Industrial Transition”

POLITICO published an article covering the roundtable discussion “Europe’s Agri-Food Value Chain: Navigating Trade Pressure and Industrial Transition”, organized by MEP Krzysztof Hetman and Business & Science Poland.

The discussion focused on the challenges of strengthening the competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience of Europe’s agri-food sector in the face of increasing trade pressures and the ongoing industrial transition.

The speakers included:

Rafał Raźny – Counsellor, Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the European Union

Piotr Całbecki – Marshal of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Chair of the Commission for Natural Resources, European Committee of the Regions

Marcin Celejewski – CEO, Grupa Azoty S.A.

Leszek Świętochowski – CEO, Krajowa Grupa Spożywcza S.A.

Below, we are sharing POLITICO’s coverage of the event.

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"POST-2027 BUDGET LACKS ‘COMMON VIEW,’ POLISH DIPLOMAT SAYS: The Commission’s post-2027 farm proposal has plenty of measures, but no big picture, Rafał Raźny, Poland’s agriculture counselor at its EU permanent representation, told a small European Parliament roundtable Tuesday. For all the talk about fairness, the proposal completely forgets food processing, water scarcity and rural development, he added.

Food off the menu: Raźny, who leads the permanent representation’s work on the CAP, said the Commission’s February 2025 Vision covered both food and farming, but the follow-up CAP regulation only covers the latter. He said the plan should bankroll small and medium processors and give farmers a bigger cut of the value chain, especially for products tied to where they’re made. That includes geographical indications championed in the Commission’s vision.

Thirsty policy: Despite measures to protect water sources, Raźny said the CAP whiffs on what he called the sector’s number-one threat — drought. He pointed to a European Investment Bank report projecting €40 billion in annual climate-related farm losses across the EU by 2050 and warned that a “super El Niño” headed for Europe soon would only compound the pressure.

Countryside cut: On the social side, Raźny criticized the proposal for effectively gutting rural development, which he called the main lever for keeping young people on the land. Two social measures earned his praise. A new “farm relief services” line will pay for stand-ins when farmers take holidays or go to training, and capitals will have to draw up generational renewal plans.

Bottom line: The new “CAP has some answers but misses the common view of how to address the challenges” facing the EU’s agrifood sectors, Raźny said."

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