Published on Monday, the World Bank study on agricultural risk management examines the use, effectiveness, and areas for improvement of Risk Management Tools (RMTs) across various Member States highlighting national challenges and opportunities. It offers a detailed analysis of current policy developments and makes recommendations for the European Union and its Member States. These recommendations also provide guidance on actions that might be further developed as outlined in the Vision for Agriculture and Food, utilising the inputs to chart the way forward on the ongoing policy discussions.

The study provides evidence to further reflect on the EU framework for agricultural risk management. It notably recognises the importance of mandatory RMTs linked with a strong Unity Safety Net and demonstrates complementarity between proactive risk management and reactive crisis support. The study also underscores the importance of a more consistent and comprehensive approach to risk management across Member States, and emphasizes the issue of accessibility to RMTs, notably for smaller farms. Furthermore, the study also acknowledges direct payments as a crucial safety net for farmers.

The study offers complementary analysis on the ongoing work of the European Commission in collaboration with the European Investment Bank's (EIB) fi-compassinitiative. The convergence between the EIB's recent report (PDF) and this study highlights specific areas that warrant attention in future CAP discussions. Overall, the World Bank's findings reinforce the EIB's conclusions in key areas such as data harmonisation, technical assistance, and layered risk management with a call to increase consistency across strategies and delivery approaches.

Background

With increasing frequency, severity, and duration of loss events, it is essential to contain or reduce climate risks within tolerable limits. This will help maintain the insurability and viability of farms, necessitating large-scale adaptation interventions.

The Commission is therefore committed to enhancing agricultural risk management strategies in all Member States. It aims to guide the design of future strategies and further enhance agricultural risk management tools across the EU. This ensures that crisis management and preparedness enhance rather than discourage farmers from adopting risk management strategies, such as switching to more resilient farming practices.

This study results from strengthened collaboration between the European Commission and the World Bank. An event to present the study is happening today (25 March), providing a platform for discussion among farmers, insurance companies, as well as representatives of Member States and the Commission.