Unelected EU agriculture chief demands sustainable overhaul

In an address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg in February 2024, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen insisted that the Common Agricultural Policy must shift toward sustainability, calling for sweeping changes in farming practices and fertilizer use, while promising farmers a place “in the driver’s seat” — though critics warned the reforms may favor large, well-connected producers over small farms.

The comments came after mass protests by EU farmers, who used tractors to block key roads to object to shrinking incomes and rising production costs.