Radikale Venstre (The Radical Left) has presented a new proposal aimed at restructuring the current agricultural support to promote smaller and greener farming. After six months of intensive work, a radical background group, led by agricultural spokesperson Christian Friis Bach, has developed a 17-page proposal clarifying their vision for the future of agriculture and the green transition. The core of the proposal is a redistribution of support from large industrial farms to smaller, local farms. According to Christian Friis Bach, such a redistribution will not only strengthen rural areas but also benefit the climate and biodiversity.
“If we phase out support for larger farms and focus on the smaller farms, ensuring they can buy local land, reduce administrative burdens, operate a farm shop, and create local jobs, we will have a triple gain for both rural areas, the climate, and biodiversity,” he states.
Radikale Venstre specifically proposes to remove support for farms that spread over more than 100 hectares. This change is intended to increase diversity in rural areas and give smaller farms a better chance of receiving the necessary support. Christian Friis Bach believes that smaller farms are better positioned to contribute to biodiversity and environmental initiatives and can play a more active role in the local community.
Although large farms can also create environmental benefits through economies of scale and investment in climate initiatives such as biogas and purification plants, Radikale Venstre believes that these should be treated as efficient industrial enterprises without the need for support.
“But they are industrial farms. And there is no reason for them to receive support in the long run. They should be treated as efficiently run industrial enterprises, and that is what they are,” says Christian Friis Bach. Additionally, he points out that the current support for large farms contributes to higher land and property prices, creating a barrier for new and younger farmers.
By removing this support, Radikale Venstre hopes to reduce price developments and make it easier for a new generation of farmers to enter the market. “If the support is removed, there is an effect that will dampen the development in land prices and for agricultural properties,” Christian Friis Bach concludes.