Farmer MEP says: EU greening policies will increase world hunger

Norfolk farmer Stuart Agnew MEP, the UKIP spokesman on agriculture has accused the EU of increasing world hunger and damaging the environment through its attempts to ‘green’ farming. In a speech to the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee (7.11.11), in the presence of Agriculture Commissioner, Dacian Ciolos and Ministers from several member states, Mr Agnew criticised plans to encourage farmers to take land out of production.

He said: “We are told that these greening measures are about climate change. In other words, if I take 7% of my farm out of production, it is going to improve the world’s weather. It is certainly going to increase the world’s hunger.”

Mr Agnew also highlighted contradictions between environmental policies already implemented by the British Government and those being planned by the EU. He said farmers in the UK were “already taking decisions that are damaging to the environment.” They have already begun to stop signing up to 3-4 year environmental contracts with the Government, for fear that this would be on top of the 7% set aside being brought in by the EU.

“Some very quick action is needed now, because if you don’t act soon, farmers will not sign up to these environmental agreements.”