There is a growing divide between small farms and large agricultural businesses, with the latter making the highest profits in the sector while receiving the bulk of subsidies, disadvantaging small farmers, a study published on Thursday by Greenpeace shows.
Greenpeace calls this a “political failure” and urges European leaders to implement a “profound change” by supporting “small-scale ecological farming.”
According to Greenpeace’s analysis, the number of mega-farms (with annual production exceeding €250,000) in the EU increased by 56% between 2007 and 2022. In contrast, the number of small commercial farms (earning between €4,000 and €49,999) dropped by 44%, from 4.3 million to 2.4 million.
Greenpeace highlights the unequal distribution of public subsidies for commercial farms, which favours larger operations. Mega-farms account for only 8% of farms in the EU, but receive 37% of the subsidies allocated, the NGO notes. Small farms, representing two-thirds of commercial farms in Europe, receive only 26%.
According to Marco Contiero, Greenpeace’s Director of European Agricultural Policy, farmers are increasingly pressured to boost their production, even if it means exposure to toxic products, animal mistreatment, and environmental degradation. No farmer would act this way if they had real alternatives, he argues.
The organisation advocates a “deep structural change” to promote more sustainable practices and enhance financial support for environmentally-conscious small farmers.
