Smallholder farms in the sustainable food transition: A critical examination of the new Common Agricultural Policy

Abstract

Almost two thirds of working farms in the European Union are considered smallholder farms. These farms play a crucial role in local food production, rural development, maintaining agrobiodiversity, and promoting cultural heritage. Despite this, agricultural policies have consistently supported on-farm intensification, specialisation, enlargement, and mechanisation of agricultural production. These policies have been in turn commonly justified through food security and agricultural efficiency arguments. Considering the European Union's Farm to Fork Strategy and the Green Deal's aims of transitioning towards sustainable food systems, this article presents a novel empirical analysis of the legal position of small farmers in the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of 2023. This analysis outlines the critical but complex position of smallholder farmers in the National Strategic Plans of 10 Member States. The reformed CAP increasingly acknowledges the important role of smallholder farmers in moving towards sustainable food systems. However, in this article, we question the CAP's sufficiency for improving the legal position of smallholders, promoting (economic) viability and harnessing the sustainability potential of smallholder farms.