Applying the polluter pays principle across the entire agricultural sector, as nature solidarity demands, will lead to higher producer prices and thus higher consumer prices. There is no way around this. However, this does not necessarily mean that low-income earners will no longer be able to afford certain foods. Healthy nutrition must of course remain affordable for everyone.

For this purpose, the revenue proposed by nature solidarity from levies on EU farmers for pesticides, mineral fertilizers, carbon dioxide, from environmental tariffs on imports, as well as savings from the billions previously distributed in agricultural subsidies should be used.

Environmentally and Animal-Friendly Products for Everyone!
When European agricultural policymakers defend the dysfunctional EU agriculture system, they like to use the social policy argument that no one should be excluded from purchasing certain foods due to high prices. This is both correct and incorrect. It is only meant to cement the status quo in EU agriculture. Arbitrarily linking policy areas is a popular trick that often harms all the political objectives addressed.

This approach is more sensible: Agricultural policy must be measured by whether it provides sufficient healthy food, preferably without subsidies and without harm to the general public. If, under these conditions, essential foods become unaffordable for some people, good social policy is needed to create compensation. Should basic foods be taxed at all, and if so, to what extent? A democratic society must not avoid this discussion. Several sources are available to finance social policy measures in the agricultural policy context: the revenue proposed by nature solidarity from levies on EU farmers for pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or CO₂ emissions; environmental tariffs on environmentally harmful agricultural imports from non-EU countries; savings from the billions in agricultural subsidies.

Moreover, EU agricultural policymakers are unsuitable as social policy advisors: A 2020 study reveals a massive social imbalance in the distribution of agricultural subsidies. [Billions in Misspent EU Agricultural Subsidies Could Support the Sustainable Development Goals | 31.10.2025] According to this study, in the year 2015 examined, of the nearly 60 billion euros spent on the sector under the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy, more than 24 billion euros went to regions where farmers’ average incomes were already above the EU median; a further 2.5 billion euros intended to promote rural development went to predominantly urban areas. The authors logically recommended a redistribution and better monitoring of payments.