 Since 1962, the EU food system has been shaped by a single overarching policy. The Common Agricultural Policy, or CAP, was the EU's attempt at creating a more self-sufficient and stable food supply in Europe. But how has it achieved this? The CAP was first provided to introduce a safety net for farmers who face seasonal uncertainty and harvests. This safety net came in the form of subsidies or income support, and through guaranteeing that the price of certain foods would stay in the same range, creating a more stable market. On average, more than half of an EU farmer's income relies on these subsidies. It seemed like a win for farmers and a win for citizens, but it didn't come cheap. In 2018, around 38% of the EU's €41 billion budget was allocated to the CAP, 72% of which was devoted to direct income support for farmers. But the issue is that current subsidies are released based on the size of farms. Put simply, the larger the farm, the more financial support you receive. This favours larger farms over smaller ones, which is a notable issue given larger farms tend to have higher environmental impacts and favour a lower diversity of crops. Since the subsidies go to the major landowners, it often leads them to overproduction, creating food surpluses and driving prices down, ultimately defeating its own purposes. To balance these issues out, the EU buys back excess produce, stores it, or sells it to overseas markets at low prices. This is good for Europeans, but what are the repercussions for outside of Europe? Selling very cheap surplus foods to lower income countries outside Europe can create unfair competition with local producers, and world market prices can suffer as a result. To try and address both citizen and industry concerns, the CAP is reformed every seven years. The latest 2020 reform has been voted by the majority of member states to remain largely unaltered, but many argue that the lack of action for more sustainable measures in recent reforms favours big business over environmental concerns and small farmers, and that it neglects sustainability goals that were set in the EU Green Deal. The EU is, however, receptive to criticism to future amendments. Projects like the Citizens Dialogue and European Citizens Initiatives aim to give voice to both citizens and food producers. With final decisions on new reforms still under discussion, you can still have your say. So, what changes would you like to see made to the CAP?