A series of Magritte-inspired Surrealist artwork appeared outside the European Parliament today - confronting policymakers with a visual warning about the future of farming in Europe, and a call to align the EU’s €386 billion farm subsidy system with the Green Deal. WeMove Europe, the independent campaign group made up of more than 750,000 people across Europe behind the stunt, have called for urgent CAP reform — demanding fairer subsidies, stronger market regulation, and greater support for sustainable, small-and medium-sized farms.

The action is backed by a coalition of farmer groups, environmental organisations and over 100,000 citizens across Europe. They argue the current subsidy system rewards intensive agriculture at the expense of small and sustainable farms. More than five million farms have disappeared across the EU since 2005, while 80% of CAP funds go to just 20% of recipients. Polling released earlier this year shows up to 70% of farmers in Spain, Italy and Poland feel forgotten by policymakers — despite most expressing pride in their work and support for environmental action.

Styled in homage to Magritte’s famous ‘Treachery of Images’, the artworks unveiled today carry captions such as “Ceci n’est pas une pomme” and “Ceci n’est pas une ferme”. Their message: Europe’s farm policy no longer feeds people — it feeds corporate consolidation. The full collection is viewable at www.notfarming.com. The aim is to challenge outdated “postcard” perceptions of farming — and spark honest discussion among policymakers about who the current system really serves.

Morgan Ody, a vegetable producer from Bretagne, France, and member of European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC), a grassroots collective of peasant farmers and agricultural workers across Europe, says:

“Alongside ensuring fair prices, a strong CAP budget is essential if we’re going to tackle the challenges farmers face today. But that public money must be used to keep rural areas alive by regulating markets and supporting the transition to agroecology and more sustainable food systems – not to fuel the industrialisation of farming or line shareholders’ pockets..”

The consequences are visible across rural Europe: in many areas, one in three farms has ceased operations, while subsidised overproduction drives prices so low that some farmers earn less than it costs them to produce. In France and Spain, for example, milk is often sold below production cost — a market failure propped up by the CAP.

Despite only 8% of farms in the E.U. being “mega-farms”, they receive 37% of the direct funding available while only 25% of the funding goes to small-scale farms, which represent over two-thirds of all the farms in the European Union. This consolidation of power is most present in Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, France, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Slovakia.

The launch of the ‘This is not a farm’ artworks and petition comes ahead of key CAP negotiations. It coincides with new farmer-backed proposals to return fairness, sustainability, and food sovereignty to the heart of EU agricultural policy — with support building across key agricultural regions in Poland, Italy, France, Spain and beyond.

Felix Riecken, a dairy producer from Schleswig-Holstein, Germany and member of the European Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture (EARA), says:

“Yields are falling due to climate change and degrading soils pushing farmers out of business while young, small and regenerating farmers remain under supported. The CAP must deliver on its core objectives of long term food security, availability, quality and affordability. CAP designs failed to shift Europe's agriculture from degradation to regeneration. There is a clear opportunity to focus not only on budget size but on real reforms. To achieve this, the CAP must undergo critical transformation. Payments must be progressively linked to agroecological performance in farming. This approach together with complementary market, regulatory and financial measures will support young, new, small and regenerating farmers -alongside with all other farmers- on their context specific journey toward more regenerating forms of agriculture.”

Giulio Carini, communications manager at WeMove Europe says:

“Our farming system is rigged. Small farmers are being pushed off the land while agribusiness giants cash in on public money. Discussions about the future of the CAP need to address what we are paying for, not just how much money is allocated to it. We need to support farmers and reward them for protecting our nature and climate, on which they rely. We’re calling on people across Europe to stand up for fair prices, healthy food, and a future where small sustainable farmers and nature can thrive. This is our moment to demand our EU leaders fix this broken system.”

In full, the coalition is calling for:

• Fair prices for farmers that reflect the full cost of sustainable food production
• Stronger market regulation, including supply management and minimum price guarantees
• Greater support for small and medium-sized farms over industrial agribusiness
• A just transition to agroecology to protect soil health, climate, biodiversity, and food sovereignty
• Access to healthy, sustainable food for all, ensuring that good food is affordable and available, and that people can make real choices about what they eat, without hidden environmental or health costs.

These reforms are essential not only for securing farmers’ futures, but also for delivering on the EU Green Deal — ensuring that Europe’s food system supports climate, nature and communities alike.

People across Europe can urge the EU to act by signing the petition atwww.notfarming.com.