Cristóbal Cano premieres his position as general secretary of UPA in full storm for the tariffs that the US president announces to agri -food products. “To this type of rulers the only thing that makes him reflect is an answer to height or even superior to his threat,” says the olive grove.
He has the defense of farmers and ranchers in his DNA since in full adolescence he accompanied his father, one of the UPA drivers in his native region in the Sierra Sur de Jaén, to the assemblies and the mobilizations. Bachelor of Environmental Sciences to continue “in the field of agricultural activity” that had suckled in his family environment, Cristóbal Cano presumes to “take very inside this agrarian organization”, in which he entered as a coach in 2007. From there he passed the general secretary in Jaén in 2015, to jump six years later to that of Andalusia. Four years ago, when his predecessor, Lorenzo Ramos, another historical of agricultural association, announced his latest mandate, his entry into the federal executive already foreshadowed his new destination, for which he He has obtained an overwhelming support of 92.6% of delegates. Download the latest agro -election number for free
What objectives are marked as the new general secretary of UPA?
First and, above all, not lose the principles and values that the organization has defended since 87, with a background of conquests for the whole sector, such as the defense of the professional agriculture and family livestock model, which is the one that supports the sector and vertebra our rural environment. And also look for solutions to the new challenges we face. We are unfortunately badly accustomed to living together, or most of the time, with complications, with difficulties, some from within the sector, and others that come from outside.
And what are those challenges facing the field?
Obviously the generational relief, the climate crisis, digitalization and innovation of the sector, the balance in the food chain, enhance the weight of the farmer and livestock in the value chain or the visibility of the rural woman. Many objectives that I face with enthusiasm and desire and surrounded by a team of eight women and eight men who form the new Federal Executive Commission, which has renewed 50% and maintains a balance of all territories and all sectors. He is an executive that is a very close and very faithful reflection of the agricultural sector in our country and who has to work on many fronts: autonomic, national and European, which is where they also decide, also, much of the future that we have as a sector.
The world is frightened with Donald Trump’s commercial policy and his tariff threat. What consequences can it have for the Spanish field?
The first thing is to be, within what fits, prudent with the statements we have read and heard in recent days because this man can change his mind from one day to another. We will have to see next April which countries, what sectors, what tariffs and others starts although today we are closer to going from being a threat to a reality. The United States is a key country for our exports, it occupies seventh in the ranking, with about 3,000 million euros. The most important productions that can be affected, olive oil or wine, have undoubted weight in the Spanish agricultural sector. A commercial lock of that level affects the two weakest links in the chain, farmers and livestock and consumers. Putting food in a commercial war is irresponsible on the part of any ruler, little empathetic and is also threatening the health and possibility of feeding your compatriots. If we talk about raising olive oil and hindering access to the American consumer, what is undermining it is your health. It is attentive against its population. But we know how this man spends, we have already lived in our flesh in his previous term, when he imposed tariffs, some still in force, such as the black olive.
“The music of the ‘Vision of Agriculture’ of the commissioner Sounds Biena. Now you have to see if it goes from words to the facts”
What do you think should be the response of the European Union?
It has to be very strong, it has to be belligerent, you cannot catch you with your foot changed, you cannot catch you by surprise. You have to establish a very important package of responses to stop them. To this type of rulers the only thing that makes him reflect is an answer to height or even superior to his threat. The United States, despite the importance it has, will cease to be a reliable ally in the short and medium term, and for that you have to explore other commercial routes to protect the sector and the food sovereignty of Europe.
And is it possible to absorb exports to the United States with other markets?
The world fortunately does not end in the United States. A country like ours, purely exporter, is interested in opening new commercial routes, for example, agreements with such important territories such as India, or exploring what possibilities we can give us the agreement with Mercosur, a block of countries with almost 300 million inhabitants with which we share language and culture. It can be positive for certain sectors, precisely also for olive oil or wine, although also generating damage to others, such as certain livestock sectors, which will have to be compensated.
And the reorientation of the EU defense policy is a threat to the budget of the common agricultural policy?
The common agrarian policy has unfortunately losing budget in each financial framework. That has to be corrected because the cost for Europe of the PAC Budget is not much less unassumable for the return it supposes. The PAC means compensating farmers and ranchers so that we can continue to produce healthy, safe foods and with food safety regulations, something that we are willing to assume as long as we have resources, adaptation time, etc. And it is so important, I even dare to say that they are at the same level, the security of our borders such as feeding 400 million inhabitants. The EU cannot play with one thing or with the other.
Brussels seems to have thrown the brake on the environmental policy. Is it the proof that the field was right with your complaints during these years?
The field was right from the moment we saw how the regulations did not put in the center the farmers and ranchers and cornered us of the decision areas. Impose regulations without those who are affected having the interlocution and participation that corresponds to us generated a situation of discomfort and we have managed to reverse, not so much to stop or lay down the policies of improvement of the environment because we have to accept reality. It is clear that the climatic crisis hits our sector and the response cannot be denial or an escape forward, but quite the opposite: adapt, produce according to the circumstances that are going to live. But for that, I insist, I insist, the complicity of the administrations and not an imposition of criteria that move away from the reality of the field.
The Commissioner of Agriculture, Christophe Hansen, presented a few days ago the vision of agriculture, has he convinced him?
We had the opportunity to share with him the presentation in Spain, first country after Brussels in which it was done, and it is true that music sounds good. Issues such as a distribution of the most fair and more social PAC funds, reinforcing the role of farmer and livestock in the value chain, the issue that we cannot import any product with substances that are prohibited here were unthinkable not long ago. But we have to see if the words go from words and in that the next steps that take place will be very important.
UPA was one of the two agricultural organizations that signed the 43 measures of flat. What assessment does its compliance?
Positive. Today the position of any farmer or livestock is easier than a year ago. The excess of bureaucracy was one of the main motivations that took us to the street and today the digital notebook or the georeferenced photos is no longer mandatory; The ecoregimens were more flexible in Spain before Europe did; Today the border controls have more intensity, they are more effective and numerous and have also gone into the Single Command of Agriculture … If something is without executing, to give AICA a major administrative range, it is because it has not been approved in the parliamentary process since there have been political forces that have not seen it convenient. It is still in time to reverse that situation so that the AICA has more material and human resources, that the sanctions are greater, something that from the UPA we will continue defending so that there are fair prices.
In the last agrarian protests, a divorce was visualized between traditional agricultural organizations and more or less spontaneous movements can that generate an escalation in conflict?
Time puts each one in their place. We have seen it with some characters from these movements to those did not need much time for their mask to be seen. We have a baggage of almost 40 years working for the sector and that is what we are in. There have been those who wanted to fish in a scrambled River and wanted to put messages in which we do not agree against the 2030 Agenda, denialism of climate change or even messages such as the rulers modify the weather with planes that, in addition to being irresponsible, entails the risk that the sector loses the complicity of the whole of society.
The Agrarian Representative Law has been modified. Do you think that the criteria that have been introduced are adequate?
We would have liked another law. We made allegations that have not been taken into account for the most part but we will continue to insist that it continues to recognize those of representative organizations. In the end there are criteria such as taking into account the electoral result of more than 20 years ago or that the number of statements of the PAC that processes is not taken into account, the number of offices, the workers you have … many objective criteria that have not been given the weight that in our judgment deserves
The generational relay that spoke before, is the great pending subject. What measures do you think from UPA that must be launched to boost it?
First that there is an economic profitability for the young man who joins. And that, I insist, is a key tool in the food chain law from there, facilitate access to land and water. Today, no young man can be incorporated from scratch without someone from his family or his environment giving him an exploitation. There is land surface that is not in use and public banks can be established, just like water. Also limit that the new ways of producing foods that monopolize large corporations and investment funds that in addition to shearing the resources are more brake on their brake so that the young man be incorporated because they cannot compete on equal terms. And it is also essential that in rural areas, in addition to having our farms we have services and infrastructure at a reasonable level. I speak of health, education, roads, broadband … If the future and the present in large part go through the digitalization of our farms if it has no coverage, imagine.
#Cristóbal #Cano #UPA #Trump #response #height #superior #threat
