Activities of James NICHOLSON related to 2011/2114(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Farm input supply chain - Imbalances in the food supply chain (debate)
Amendments (27)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 a (new)
Citation 2 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 18 January 2011 on recognition of agriculture as a strategic sector in the context of food security1,
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 b (new)
Citation 8 b (new)
- having regard to the JRC report of 2010 on "Compendium of reference methods for GMO analysis",
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 c (new)
Citation 8 c (new)
- having regard to the JRC report of 2010 on "Impacts of the EU biofuel target on agricultural markets and land use: a comparative modelling assessment",
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas total input costs for EU farmers climbed on average by almost 40 % between 2000 and 2010, while farmgate prices increased on average by less than 25 %, according to Eurostat; whereas the increase in input costs within that decade reached 60 % for energy and lubricants, almost 80 % for synthetic fertilisers and soil improvers, over 30 % for animal feed, around 36 % for machinery and other equipment, almost 30 % for seeds and planting stock and nearly 13 % for plant protection products and pesticides, highlighting the need to facilitate access to cheaper inputs for farmers, particularly from the world market;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas upward pressure on input prices is expected to rise further as a result of resource scarcity and, growing demand in emerging economies and policies which make it harder for EU farmers to gain access to cheaper feed available on the global market;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas food production can be regularly undermined by a range of factors including the impact of pests and diseases, availability of natural resources and natural disasters;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
E a. whereas the EU has set a high level of standards in food safety, human and environment protection, which entails consequences for the time and cost of development of new practices and tools up- and downstream in the food chain;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas increased costs for leased land and land prices also strongly influence the viability of farming and young entrants in farming and should be included in reflections on possible cuts in input costs; whereas this situation should be improved, especially for young farmers and if needed through better regulationthe price of farmland and the cost of land rental directly impacts on the viability of farming and on the ability of young entrants to get established in farming;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the market concentration of farm input suppliers is very high, with six companies controlling nearly 75 % of the agrochemicals market and three companies controlling over 45 % of the seeds market; whereas this concentration contributes to maintaining high seed prices and has a substantial negative impact on crop diversity;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas certified and patented seeds and royalties for use of these seedincreased fuel, fertilizer and feed prices represent the main increase in seed costs for farmers;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas long-term investments in better input and resource management (including energy, soil and nutrients, water) are technology, seeds and agrochemicals is needed to respond to the new economic and environmental challenges, including within the context of the Europe 2020 Strategy; whereas farmers should have sufficient returns on their investment so that they are enabled to adopt more resource-efficient, sustainable and innovative farming systems;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital N
Recital N
N. whereas crop rotation should be included in ‘greening’ measures as part of CAP reform with regard to its significantcan contributione to climate change mitigation and the potential for reducing thprovides for the sustainable use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital O
Recital O
O. whereas production of leguminous protein crops in the EU as well as improved grass-fed production systems would reduce the EU's protein deficit and its dependence on feed imports and wcould have major economic benefits for farmers, but will not be a one-size-fits-all solution to the existing multiple imbalances in the farm input supply chain and would also lead to a reduction in the production of other, more resource efficient arable crops;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls on the Commission to include in its work programme a revision of legislationand Member States to improve the transparency of on- farm input prices and the price margins of industries upstream of farming;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the Commission to encourage improved agronomic practices and agricultural resource management, with the aim of producing stable and productive agriculture, reducing input costs and nutrient wastage and increasing innovation, resource efficiency and effectiveness and sustainability within farming systems; Stresses the need for an integrated approach for farmers which brings balance in all areas of farming (production, environment, profitability, social dimension).
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on national and European competition authorities to address robustly the dominant posipply EU antitrust legislation tof agribusiness traders and input companies, and to consider proposals for anti-trust legislations applicable to all sectors;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses also the need for an EU-wide system for exchanging information on good practices in nutrient, energy and natural resources and the management which reduce input cosof other inputs in order to achieve greater effectiveness and efficiency of inputs;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls for the new rural development policy to include specific support measures, such as advisory services and training for better resource management and for sustainable practices which reducincrease input costs and vulnerability to price volatility, and which specifically support short input and food chainsefficiency and effectiveness and reduce vulnerability to price volatility;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls for a substantial part of the next research framework programme to be earmarked for applied R&D in farm-inputs management in order to reduce input costs and improve agronomic practices, including involvement and improved training and capacity building for farmers and better collaboration between public and private science organisations andectors, including farmers organisations;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls on the Commission to sbet up an EU information campaign ter inform farmers and consumers stressingabout the need for better management of energy, water and natural resources throughout the food chain, so as to significantly reduce waste of resources and food;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote, through legislative measures, investments in energy saving and renewable energy production on-farm or in local partnership projects (wind, solar, biogas, geothermic etc.) with a special focus on using waste and by-products on a local level;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Considers that efficient measures for on-farm and local energy saving and management shcould be made available throughout the EU via rural development programmes and shcould become part of farm extension services;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Repeats its call to includeNotes that crop rotation and crop diversity in an EU-wide list of ‘greening’ measures to be rewarded within the CAP, given the positive effect the former have ocan play a role in climate change mitigation, soil and water quality and farmers'’ finances (with significantly reducedustainable use of fertilisers, soil improvers, and enhanced management of resistances to plant protection products and pesticides which will reducincrease input costs for farmers)effectiveness and efficiency for farmers); and stresses the role of Integrated Pest Management in achieving those goals;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Repeats its calls for the Commission to swiftly submit to Parliament and the Council a report on the possibilities and options for increasing domestic protein crop production in the EU by means of new policy instruments, thereby reducing the EU's dependence on protein imports and the external input of mineral fertilisers and pesticides, and examining the potential effect of these options on farmers' revenueensure greater and more reliable access to feed imports available on the global market; notes that the resource efficiency of growing protein crops in the EU is significantly below that of other crops and therefore does not recommend specific action to promote protein crops that would be to the detriment of existing, more resource efficient and sustainable crops;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Stresses again the need to introduce in the new CAP suitable measures and instruments to support those farmers cultivating protein crops in crop rotation systems, thereby reducing the EU's crop protein deficit and price volatility, improving agricultural practices, reducing greenhousthe difficulties that farmers in the EU have accessing feed on the international market, forcing EU farmers to have to compete at a competitive disadvantage agas emissions and improving diseaseinst farmers in third countrol and soil fertilityies;
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Calls on the Commission to conduct a study into the impact land lease and increased costs for land purchase and lease are having on farming sectors in the EU Member States and to determine whether monitoring of access to land and new legislation in this field is necessary in order to avoid further disconnection between land prices, land lease and agricultural use value;