On Wednesday, 15th July, NESC Policy Analyst Dr Jeanne Moore participated in a panel discussion as part of the IIEA event “Protest to Partnership: Rethinking Europe’s Agricultural Transition”, which was attended by stakeholders from across the agricultural and environmental sectors.

This discussion followed a presentation given by Dagmar Droogsma, Agricultural Programme Lead at Project Tempo. The new research from Project Tempo being launched at the event put forth an overall hopeful and constructive path forward for transition across the continent, contrasting current uncertainties. Dr Moore specifically welcomed the research’s focus on farmers’ experiences, concerns, identity, and looking to the future.

In her remarks, she outlined how many of the themes echoed NESC’s 2023 work on Just Transition in Agriculture and Land Use and on Natural Capital Accounting, such as:

• the importance of fairness and a just transition approach – this is not a transition out of agriculture, but a transition towards more sustainable agriculture and land use. We need to focus on creating the conditions under which climate action is practical, trusted, and economically viable;
• the need for a clear, consistent, and coherent whole-of-society vision for transition towards more sustainable agriculture and land use;
• the key role of social inclusion processes and dialogue – the transition must be done ‘with farmers and rural communities, to create a positive shared vision for the future’;
• getting the economics right – the importance of accelerating work on natural capital accounting and Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) to ensure farmers are financially rewarded for the “public goods” they provide, such as carbon sequestration, water quality, and biodiversity protection.

Also on the panel were: Dr Pippa Hackett, former Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine – organic farmer and Manager, Project BASELINE; and Ian Marshall OBE, former Senator, Seanad Éireann – Head of Business Development and Policy, CASE, Queen’s University Belfast. Chair of the Ireland Africa Rural Development Committee, Tom Arnold, acted as moderator.