The European Union and the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) have unveiled new policy frameworks for strengthening agricultural production, improving food security and raising farmers’ incomes, as governments respond to mounting global volatility, climate pressure and rising production costs.
In Europe, the renewed focus follows an extraordinary meeting of EU Agriculture Ministers held on January 7, where food security was elevated to a core pillar of the Union’s security and sovereignty agenda.
Facing unstable markets, climate shocks and persistently high input prices, the European Commission has announced a combination of financial backing and regulatory safeguards to stabilise farm incomes while sustaining large-scale food production.
Central to the strategy is the protection of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) budget, including a proposed National and Regional Partnership Fund valued at €293.7 billion.
The fund will guarantee predictable income support and long-term investment capacity for farmers across the bloc.
To cushion producers against shocks, the Commission has also moved to double its crisis reserve through a new €6.3 billion Unity Safety Net, which will mitigate the impact of natural disasters, animal diseases and climate-related disruptions.
Recognising the burden of rising input costs, Brussels has proposed temporary tariff reductions on ammonia and urea to ease fertiliser prices and improve availability.
Additional safeguards include a semi-automatic “handbrake” mechanism that would allow the EU to respond swiftly to import surges threatening domestic producers, alongside an implementation dialogue scheduled for early 2026 to assess the cumulative impact of environmental regulations on farmers.
EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, Christophe Hansen, stated that farming remains central to Europe’s strategic autonomy. He confirmed that at least €300 billion would be ring-fenced for farmers in the next EU budget, with a minimum of 10 per cent of National and Regional Partnership Plans allocated to rural development.
In Nigeria, a similar sense of urgency emerged at the 31st Nigerian Economic Summit, where agriculture and agribusiness were positioned as key drivers of industrialisation, employment and competitiveness.
Policymakers and business leaders have called for a decisive shift from a consumption-led economy to a production-based model anchored on value-chain development.
The NESG framework prioritises infrastructure, innovation and regional integration, with strong emphasis on value-added processing rather than raw commodity exports.
Participants stressed the need for policy consistency, execution discipline and digital tools to unlock agribusiness growth, alongside improved access to finance for farmers and processors.
To ensure reforms translate into tangible gains, the NESG urged federal and state governments to deepen decentralisation, strengthen accountability for agricultural spending and empower local governments.
The summit also proposed expanding a Citizen Delivery Tracker to monitor progress on agricultural commitments and integrating socio-economic interventions with security efforts to protect farming communities.
Source: The Nation
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