Lyon to address German Farming Union

8.16.41am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 1st Jul 2010

George Lyon, Liberal Democrat MEP for Scotland, will address the German Farmers Union General Assembly in Berlin later today with European Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos and German Farming Minister Ilse Aigner.

Mr Lyon will tell the one thousand strong audience that the major challenge at the heart of the reform is the sustainability of our food production system. He will argue that food security should be the cornerstone of the new CAP.

Speaking ahead of the event, Mr Lyon said:

"Some very difficult questions remain as we look to build a sustainable farming future.

"How do we feed a growing global population set to reach nine billion by the middle of the century? How do we do this while using less land, less water and less energy?

"The questions will not be easy to answer, but the new CAP must begin to address them.

"It will require a huge effort by all, a fundamental shift in the way we think about agriculture. We need to focus on solutions that put farmers at the heart of problem solving and not seen as part of the problem.

"I firmly believe that by supporting the reforms set out in my report the European Parliament can take the first steps in making farming a sustainable, profitable and environmentally friendly industry built to meet the new challenges of a new century."