Farmers Stage a Comeback: But Have the Greens Sold Out? |
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Authors: | DAVE TOKE SEAN MCGOUGH |
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Affiliation: | Senior Research Fellow at the Department of Sociology, University of Birmingham;. Lecturer in International Relations/European Studies at Coventry University and a former Research Fellow in the Politics of Food and Farming at the University of Birmingham. |
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Abstract: | In 2001 farmers in the UK seemed besieged both by domestic crises and international pressures for reductions in agricultural subsidies in order to stop trade distortions which harm developing countries. However, since then cutbacks in EU farm subsidies have failed to materialise and the reformed subsidy system is now given political cover by a new alliance with environmentalists. This follows linkage of increasing proportions of farm subsidies to environmental purposes rather than agricultural production. This article questions whether the reforms will achieve cuts in agricultural overproduction. Moreover, environmentalists who have supported the reforms may be sidelining the interests of developing countries in return for environmental gains which are at best superficial and at worse totally illusory. An alternative environmental strategy is discussed. |
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Keywords: | CAP decoupling environmentalists radical alternative |
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