Agrifood
French bio-waste finds second life in building insulation
By using hemp, brewers grains and spelt husk, many French SMEs are starting to manufacture natural insulation materials based on bio-sourced materials and biowaste, which have not previously been 're-purposed'. In other words, they are using 'green' alternative to conventional insulation. EURACTIV France reports.
Germans protest in Berlin demanding radical change of agricultural sector
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Berlin in the tenth "We're fed up with it!" rally on Saturday (18 January) in an effort to bring about a radical change in Germany's agricultural sector. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Bioeconomy in the CAP’s nine objectives
Bioeconomy will play a crucial role in delivering the European Union's environmental and climate neutrality agenda. The farm sector is no exception and at least half of the nine objectives of the post-2020 EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) relate directly to this concept.
EU bets on bioeconomy to deliver farming aspects of the Green Deal
The European Commission and the member states intend to use the concept of bioeconomy as a tool to achieve political priorities at the core of the bloc's new environmental flagship policy when it comes to agriculture.
Investing in consumer ‘proximity’ to produce biodiesel from UCO
A Greek company says it has found a way to collect much more effectively used cooking oil for biodiesel production: by making it easier for consumers to find nearby collection points and avoid simply pouring the used oil down their kitchen sink,
Could bacteria help recycle greenhouse gases in the future?
Could bacteria assist in the recycling of greenhouse gases in the future instead of releasing them into the atmosphere? European researchers are working to reverse the metabolism of intestinal bacteria that feed on CO2 so that they form products that can be used at an industrial level. EURACTIV Germany reports.
French forest industry not taking advantage of ever-growing forests
The forest continues to expand in France, according to industry figures, but the industry is not making the most of it. EURACTIV France reports.
Shipping to splash out on ammonia in green bid
A shipbuilder and engine maker are among leading companies looking to develop a vessel that can run on ammonia as part of efforts to speed up carbon reductions in shipping through cleaner fuel options, officials said on Wednesday (15 January).
European Parliament kicks off debate on pesticide, food waste cuts
MEPs agreed their first stance on the new Commission’s environmental flagship policy, the European Green Deal, aiming at halving food waste by 2030 and setting binding reduction targets for hazardous pesticides.
The battle between pro Nutri-score MEPs and Italy keeps raging on
A group of MEPs on Wednesday (15 January) spoke out against a fake news campaign by Italian politicians and stakeholders about the nutrition label known as Nutri-score, calling for it to be compulsory for all food manufacturers in the EU.
Italy smashes mafia racket defrauding EU agriculture funds
Italian police arrested 94 people in pre-dawn raids on Wednesday (15 January) as part of an investigation into an alleged Mafia scam that defrauded European Union agriculture funds of millions of euros. Prosecutors said they believed the fraud was orchestrated...
EU to ban the insecticide thiacloprid
The European Commission decided on Monday (13 January) not to renew the approval of the neonicotinoid pesticide thiacloprid, following scientific advice by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) that the substance presents health and environmental concerns.
Cultured meat could be on the EU market ‘as early as 2022’
After environmentalist George Monbiot’s controversial “Apocalypse Cow” documentary recently suggested that we may soon see the end of all farming, EURACTIV took a look at cultured meat to see what it is and where we're at.
New UK farming bill guarantees subsidies for 2020
The UK government has introduced new legislation which ensures that farming subsidies will continue to be paid to UK farmers for 2020, during the transition period that will follow the country's departure from the EU on 31 January.
Despite plans to ban glyphosate, its sales in France increase by 10%
Despite France's campaign against glyphosate and a plan to ban it in a majority of agricultural practices by the end of 2020, the world's most commonly used weedkiller saw its sales volumes soar by 10% in the country in 2018.
Agri-food exports to US spike ahead of tariffs storm
The last monthly update on agri-food trade with data until October 2019 confirmed a favourable trend of EU food exports to the US ahead of punitive tariffs promised by the Trump administration.
Could Germany impose a tax on meat?
Shortly before Germany launches its "green week", Lower Saxony's conservative agriculture minister, Barbara Otte-Kinast (CDU), raised the issue of introducing a meat tax, again, which is something animal welfare activists have been demanding for years. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Lisbon bus project uses 100% used cooking oil as fuel
Lisbon’s public transportation company CARRIS has joined forces with the private sector in a project aiming to boost sustainable mobility in the country’s capital through the use of 100% used cooking oils.
French vineyards fear losing land to new pesticide-free zones
Pesticide-free zones, implemented in France since 1 January 2020, have angered winegrowers, who are losing a great deal of surface area, while civil society still considers them insufficient. EURACTIV France reports.
Welfare of rabbits farmed in Europe not up to scratch, says EFSA
The welfare of adult rabbits kept in conventional cage systems is worse than that of those housed in other systems used in the EU, EFSA has concluded in an extensive study which investigated rabbit welfare in the EU.
UK Environment secretary: Brexit is opportunity for UK to ‘shake off shadow of CAP’
After Brexit, the UK must “shake off the shadow of the CAP” and instead begin a transition in 2021 towards “radical” new policies that work for planet, people and the farming sector, Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers has said.
Future of France’s organic products may lie in hands of large supermarkets
If the production of organic products continues to grow every year in France, mass distribution will supply even more of these products by 2022, according to an analysis note from the Xerfi Precepta Institute. But could such a development prove to be risky? EURACTIV's partner Le Journal de l'environnement reports.
French dairy industry ranks first worldwide but farmers don’t reap the benefits
The concentration of the French dairy industry, which is at the origin of the impoverishment of milk producers, paradoxically ranks the sector above its global competitors, according to a study by France Agrimer. EURACTIV France reports.