PRESS INVITATION: CONFERENCE & PRESS BREAKFAST

 

INVITATION TO 7 DECEMBER CONFERENCE & PRESS BREAKFAST 8 DECEMBER

  Land speculation, land grabbing and land concentration in Europe are an increasing threat to small and medium sized family and peasant farmers and new entrants. Soaring land prices make it increasingly difficult for farmers to have access to land. In the meantime, investors are buying up enormous pieces of land, sometimes using legal loopholes. Land is progressively becoming a globally tradable commodity and an object of financial speculation.   Addressing this “land rush” is urgent for the future of our food and farming sector.   To this end, and in light of the own initiative report currently being prepared in the European Parliament's AGRI Committee regarding farmland concentration, the Greens/EFA group, the European Coordination Via Campesina and the European Economic and Social Council have invited farmers, NGOs, researchers, politicians and regulatory bodies from different EU countries to share their analysis and discuss possible solutions at a public event in Brussels on 7 December (see: bit.ly/access-to-land). The main outcomes of this public conference will be presented at a press breakfast on 8 December, from 9h00 to 10h00.   We hereby cordially invite you to attend the public conference and our press breakfast where the following people will be sharing views on the crucial issue of access to land for farmers:  

• Mr Brendan Burns, Scotland, President of the Section Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment (NAT) at the European Economic and Social Council
• Mr Adam Payne, England, farmer and member of the Coordinating Committee of the European Coordination Via Campesina
• Mr Benny Haerlin, Germany, author of the study Land Rush - The Sellout of Europe’s Farmland
• MEP Maria Noichl, Germany, S&D rapporteur for the EP’s committee on agriculture and rural development’s initiative report on “State of play of farmland concentration in the EU: how to facilitate the access to land for farmers?” (tbc)
• MEP Maria Heubuch, Germany, Greens/EFA shadow rapporteur for the EP’s committee on agriculture and rural development’s initiative report on “State of play of farmland concentration in the EU: how to facilitate the access to land for farmers?”

To participate, register or have more information on the press breakfast and/or the conference please feel free to contact:  

• Maria Heubuch: MEP Greens/EFA, +32 22 84 53 35, maria.heubuch@europarl.europa.eu
• Andres Arce Indacochea: communication officer, European Coordination Vía Campesina, +32 489 55 22 97, andres@eurovia.org