As the EU’s flagship food policy, the Farm to Fork, and its complementary relative, the Biodiversity Strategy, aim to improve sustainability at all levels of the food chain, the focus is now on the tools that could deliver such ambition.
For instance, the EU’s farming subsidies programme, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), envisages a new green architecture designed to reward farmers for certain agricultural practices considered important in delivering environmental goals.
However, the private sector is not standing idly by and has started to propose tools to help achieve this.
This includes markets to incentivise carbon removals and protocols to assess the environmental impact of products in a bid to assess validate claims.
In this special report, EURACTIV takes a closer look at ways to offer standardised information on sustainable farming practices through the lens of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol and how it could help to improve the sustainability of the whole supply chain.
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Fashion brands at the test of setting sustainable standards
Consumers' craving for ever-increasing sustainable products is leaving its mark on the textile industry, creating a shift toward a 'greener' manufacturing process that requires new ways to assess its impact on the environment.
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‘Farmer-friendly’ data collection sets the stage for sustainable solutions
With a growing demand for sustainable products, reliable data is key for farmers to improve their production practices and prove their green credentials. But how can this be done in practice? EURACTIV takes a closer look at one protocol putting this into action.
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Sustainability protocols key tool for encouraging next generation of farmers
Farming sustainability protocols can be an invaluable tool for farmers to tell their story and keep farms economically viable so it can be passed onto future generations, US farmer Aaron Barcello told EURACTIV in an interview.
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Textile transparency issues will not vanish with upcoming EU’s strategy
The European Commission's plan to guide and support the EU textile industry in emerging from the COVID-19 crisis might fall short when it comes to the traceability of textile raw materials.
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U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol
There is an urgent need for a harmonised framework on corporate communications around product sustainability, and the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol welcomes the EU’s efforts to drive greater sustainability in global supply chains, including in the textiles sector.