Towards Agrarian Justice: A Distributive Justice Framework for the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) represents one of the European Union’s oldest and most significant policy frameworks. However, over the years it has been criticised for not adequately addressing questions of equity, sustainability, and justice. This thesis critically examines the distributional patterns of CAP subsidies, situating the analysis within the broader context of the debates on distributive justice and degrowth. While the CAP aims to promote environmental sustainability and social equity, its current distribution of subsidies disproportionately benefits large farms, to the detriment of small-scale farmers. Drawing on normative principles of distributive justice—including prioritarianism, sufficientarianism, and limitarianism—this thesis proposes an alternative framework for subsidy allocation that prioritises equity and long-term sustainability. In doing so, it critiques utilitarian assumptions underpinning the current subsidy system and argues for a paradigm shift...Show moreThe Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) represents one of the European Union’s oldest and most significant policy frameworks. However, over the years it has been criticised for not adequately addressing questions of equity, sustainability, and justice. This thesis critically examines the distributional patterns of CAP subsidies, situating the analysis within the broader context of the debates on distributive justice and degrowth. While the CAP aims to promote environmental sustainability and social equity, its current distribution of subsidies disproportionately benefits large farms, to the detriment of small-scale farmers. Drawing on normative principles of distributive justice—including prioritarianism, sufficientarianism, and limitarianism—this thesis proposes an alternative framework for subsidy allocation that prioritises equity and long-term sustainability. In doing so, it critiques utilitarian assumptions underpinning the current subsidy system and argues for a paradigm shift toward a degrowth framework. The findings suggest that a degrowth, justice-oriented distribution scheme could better align CAP subsidies with environmental and social goals while addressing structural inequities. The thesis offers policy recommendations for reforming CAP subsidies and emphasises the need for fairer allocation mechanisms and stronger support for small-scale, sustainable agriculture.Show less

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Towards Agrarian Justice: A Distributive Justice Framework for the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy