A European Farmland Observatory : A Necessary Step for Land Justice
Access to land is at the heart of Europe’s agricultural future. The increasing concentration of farmland, rising land prices, and the expansion of corporate farming are making it ever more difficult for small and medium-scale farmers, especially new entrants, to secure land. This threatens food sovereignty, biodiversity, and rural livelihoods.
To address these challenges, the Access to Land network and the European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC) with the help of long time partners TNI and AGTER have put forward a proposal for a European Farmland Observatory. This initiative is a response to the European Commission’s commitment to transparency in land markets, as highlighted in the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture. [1]
Why an EU Farmland Observatory ?
The observatory aims to :
- Enhance transparency in land markets by identifying the actual beneficiaries of farmland transactions.
- Guide regulation to prioritize access to land for agroecological and sustainable farming systems.
- Support cross-border cooperation and experience-sharing through regular reports.
- Ensure farmer participation by including peasant organizations and grassroots movements in its governance.
What Will the Observatory Do ?
- Monitor land ownership structures to track the true extent of land concentration.
- Collect and analyze data on farmland transactions, rental agreements, and ownership changes.
- This includes monitoring agricultural investment trends and corporate acquisitions.
- Publish regular reports to inform policy decisions at the EU and national levels.
A Call to Action
The policy brief, available for download below, provides further details on the observatory’s mission, functioning, and governance.
The Access to Land network and ECVC call on EU policymakers to take action and support this initiative, ensuring a fair and sustainable future for European agriculture.
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