"briton", very subtle
You have hit it there.
The way I look at it is, the British farmer is not suited to growing grapes and olives. So why should he attempt it? By the same logic, why should farmers in grape and olive countries try to grow the North European/Scandinavian crops?
The ultimate model of the future of Europe would be partially based on the US. Now look at their current farming situation: Idaho is the "potato state", Wisconsin is the "dairy state". No-one says "Hang on, California is doing all the wine production, come on Michigan, grow some grapes!". It is OBVIOUS California will make the wine, they have the weather. In the same way that Spain, Portugal, Italy, southern France, have the climate to grow grapes thus make wine, brandy, vinegar. But root vegetables grow FAR better in the colder climates of the north.
Every year I hear "Brussels sprouts are far better after the first frost". You don't get frost in Carveiro (southern Portugal), so why grow Brussles Sprouts there? We don't have the weather for tropical plants to thrive (just look at the palm trees in Torquay) so why would we grow olives here?!
Now obviously people grow potatoes outside of Idaho, and the cows outside of Wisconsin still get milked. But in those states they are proud of what they do. I have never subscribed to the French cuisine myth, however the French can definitely cook a steak properly (take the horns off, wipe it's ass and put it on a plate). A Frenchman in his local bistro would have a much better time eating a British steak, served with French wine, English chips, followed up by a desert of "schwarzwald kirschtorte" (Blackforest gateau to us Brits). "Best of European", to extend a British phrase to the rest of the 400 million people we share a flag with.
CAP would work better if they worked it properly. Produce the produce in the right freakin' country!
