Twenty Years of European Greens
1984 - 2004
edited by Arnold Cassola & Per Gahrton
Friedrich Graefe zu Baringdorf
Bündnis '90/Die Grünen (Germany)
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Green MEP 1984 - to date
My earliest memory, of when the German Greens first entered the European Parliament at the beginning of 1984, is that of the first intervention I made in plenary. I had been elected onto the Green list as a representative of the small farmers’ movement of Germany and I had a lot to say about the destructive Common Agricultural Policy. I was not aware that the speaking time I had for my first intervention was very short. So I had hardly started explaining why CAP Reform was one of our key demands, when I was stopped by the Chair of the plenary session, Mr. Pfimlin and suddenly my microphone and translation were cut off. That was too much. That was discrimination. I left my seat and immediately stormed down the hall to protest. The president didn’t even listen. So I grabbed him by his nice suit and shouted at him that I had the right to say what I had to say. Well, this was the first big event and I have heard many times later that I am a real “peasant”: stubborn, with my own way of doing politics.
Since then, much has changed. Not only am I a bit older and more respectful of the rules in general, but also part of our goals and policies have become reality - still not enough - and much has been taken up. Take the discussion about organic farming as an example. Just mention of this word in the Agricultural Committee in the eighties would make people laugh at us. When we insisted that less production and more environmental protection was needed, with more integration of policies and more rural development, nobody listened. Today it is mainstream; at least nobody laughs about it, all parties claim that they promote it and are in favour - what is being done is another question! But managing to get these changes in public opinion takes time.
Nevertheless, an increasing number of farmers are practising organic farming and the market for organic products is increasing. There is sensitivity for food quality, for animal welfare, for the Agri-Cultural aspects of rural life. Without exaggerating, we can be proud to have reached this shift in policies and awareness in Europe over the past 18 years.
I am a veteran of Green Agri-Culture Policy. I have invested a good part of my life into a tough struggle in the European Institutions for a more just and healthy farm policy. I think it was worth it and it is worth continuing. The big challenges today are GMO contamination (which we made sure is legally excluded in the organic farming regulation), the exaggerated transport of food across Europe, the spreading of diseases, and the continued concentration of agro-industries and retailers in all member states. I am convinced that more food scandals and a good network of NGOs and CSOs, which we were able to build up through the years, will fuel our battle for a sustainable agri-Culture in Europe. Just take the European Agri-Cultural Convention and the Greens’ Rural-Urban Links. We have been a good Green team and we are looking forward to new fields of cultivation. There is no European Culture without sustainable Agri-Culture.
