13
Sep
2022
Watch
Consequences of drought, fire, and other extreme weather phenomena: increasing EU's efforts to fight climate change (debate)
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the summer of 2022 was marked by extreme drought, the worst drought in 500 years. Once again, our farmers are among the hardest hit, while the agricultural sector was already in crisis. Between 2005 and 2016, as many as a thousand farms per day disappeared in Europe. A thousand, colleagues, because farmers are the weakest link in the chain and there was a crisis: high production costs, low prices, the war in Ukraine, and now that extreme drought is added. I want to express the voice of the farmers here today. I want to call you: Have an emergency plan with: increased agricultural support for risk prevention and management, increased support for water management; Increased resources for research and innovation. Thereafter, colleagues, there should be a structural agricultural plan. We must tackle all problems together, ensure that farmers are a strong link in the chain, ensure that they are strong at the global level and ensure that production costs are reduced. We really need to defend the place of farmers in Europe. Mr President, I am a farmer's daughter and I will continue to fight here in Parliament for the survival of farming in Europe.