Global Overview of the CAP. Part II: Short Food Supply Chain as a Modern Concept

This Chapter scrutinises the impacts of the 2013 and 2023 CAP reforms on the position of small farmers operating at the small scale and local level within the agri-food chain. Traditionally conceptualised as a highly centralised policy, the CAP underwent a significant transformation from the 1990s onwards due to external pressures stemming from economic and environmental concerns, necessitating a reevaluation of its mission. The 2013 CAP aimed to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of agricultural policy by simplifying administrative procedures while retaining centralised control over the management and oversight of financial support. In contrast, the 2023 reform ushered in a flexible, decentralised, and performance-based policy framework, delegating the responsibility of designing, implementing, and monitoring national agricultural plans to Member States to achieve CAP objectives. Guided by the questions ‘Which regulatory approach concerning the safeguarding and support of small farmers and their small-scale operations was discontinued between the 2013 and 2023 CAP reforms, and why?’, the Chapter delineates the key changes across the two reforms. It evaluates the relevant measures under Pillars I and II of the 2013 CAP and assesses the novelties introduced in the 2023 reform, charting a path forward in the regulation of small farmers and SFSC initiatives in the EU.