Human Capital and the CAP: The Case for Radical Policy Reform

Abstract

SummaryAmbitious EU objectives for a more resilient, sustainable and competitive agricultural sector, cannot be achieved unless more attention is given to the development of human capital. Despite longstanding interventions to promote specialist agricultural education, farmer attainment metrics remain disappointing. Likewise participation rates in lifelong learning are much lower for farmers than for the working population generally. Based on experience in other sectors, there is potential to apply measures on minimum practitioner competency, practitioner accreditation and continuing professional development to agriculture. As part of this policy framework, a share of the future EU agriculture budget should be placed in a Knowledge Fund to be allocated in the form of Knowledge Vouchers. Given ingrained barriers to change that must be overcome, farmers using Knowledge Vouchers to finance training, skills and competency development should be rewarded with a cash payment. Farmers that do not engage in education and lifelong learning would see subsidy payments reduced. The prescribed policy change would improve overall value for public money and align with proposals for Member States to develop Strategic Plans to meet economic, environmental and social objectives, as part of post‐2020 CAP reforms.