Agrifood
Kyriakides: Curbing pesticide dependency to set a world sustainable standard
Currently renowned for producing safe, nutritious and high-quality foodstuffs, the European farming sector should also become a world standard for sustainability, according to the new Food Safety Commissioner Kyriakides.
Croatia foreign minister: We will defend regional, farm funding in new EU budget
EXCLUSIVE / Croatia, which starts its first EU presidency stint in January, is "not quite happy" with Finland's proposal for the EU's seven-year budget and will seek to amend the proposal in order to preserve funding for Cohesion and the Common Agricultural Policy, the country's Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman told EURACTIV.
COP25 – ethanol brings welcome contribution to transport climate action
Transport accounts for a quarter of climate-harming greenhouse gas emissions and, at a glance, a quarter of COP25 talks are about cutting transport emissions. They’re the hardest kind to cut, writes James Cogan. James Cogan is a policy advisor to...
Corteva signs first major gene editing deal with European company
Despite the ongoing legal uncertainty over the future of new plant breeding innovation in Europe, US agricultural company Corteva Agriscience has signed the first major deal on genome editing tools with French seed producer Vilmorin & Cie.
With a ‘Farm to Fork’ Strategy on the cards, is the EU finally listening to its citizens?
The Farm to Fork strategy will reveal whether the new Commission is ready to overhaul some of the EU’s most unsustainable policies and the vested interests behind them but leaked drafts suggest that it will not be truly systemic and...
EU to ban two ‘brain-damaging’ pesticides
Representatives from member states in the EU Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SCOPAFF) voted to ban the controversial pesticides chlorpyrifos and chlorpyrifos-methyl from the EU market on Friday (6 December).
Salvini’s U-turn on Nutella exposes flaws in his ‘nationalist’ food policy
Lega leader Matteo Salvini's recent scolding of the iconic hazelnut spread 'Nutella' has exposed flaws in the 'Italian first' formula that has led the Italian to past electoral successes.
IATA official: Incentives needed for green alternatives to kerosene
Alternative fuels are the long-term solution to reduce emissions from aviation, but incentives are needed to scale them up, an official from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) told EURACTIV.com.
EU study to clarify gene editing court ruling further muddies waters
After the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling that organisms obtained by new plant breeding techniques (NBTs) should, in principle, fall under the GMO Directive, the Council of the EU has requested a study from the Commission to clarify the situation. But what this means in practice remains unclear.
EU agency: Greening of the EU main farm policy not delivered yet
Policies aimed at integrating environment and climate concerns into Europe’s Common Agricultural Policy have not delivered, according to a report released by the European Environment Agency (EEA).
EU Commission set to vote on ban of controversial organophosate pesticides
The European Commission is set to vote on Friday (6 December) on not renewing the approval of two pesticides, chlorpyrifos and chlorpyrifos-methyl, which the EU's food safety agency says may have serious effects on foetuses and children - a claim industry strongly rejects.
Andriukaitis: Europe should take lead in science-based plant innovation
The EU is leading the science-based fight against climate change and it will also lead on science-based plant innovation, writes former EU Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis.
Finland aims to put €10bn more in CAP’s second pillar
Finland's presidency proposed an EU’s seven-year budget that leaves allocations for direct payments and market measures as they were set up in Common Agricultural Policy's Commission proposal, adding €10 billion of fresh money in the rural development funds.
Ethanol could be a ‘bridge’ toward transport electrification, US farmers say
Until electrification of transport is fully in place, ethanol could be used as a “bridge” to make fuels cleaner, US farmers told EURACTIV.com at the COP25 in Madrid.
COP25: Is transport decarbonisation pragmatic enough?
Stakeholders will be meeting in Madrid for the COP25 Climate Change Conference over the next two weeks (2-13 December), and transport decarbonisation is expected to take centre stage in the discussions.
Agricultural emissions: Not enough cash for solutions
European policies on tackling agricultural emissions are insufficient, according to auditors. Although solutions do exist, the cost and time factors often mean farmers are not capable of implementing them.
German government seeks to boost dialogue with disgruntled farmers
Following the ongoing protests by farmers in recent months, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner (CDU) were invited to attend an agricultural summit yesterday (2 December). They intend to reinforce dialogue with the agricultural sector, once again. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Austria on course to become first EU country to ban glyphosate
Austria is set to be the first EU country to ban glyphosate, having completed the EU’s single market notification procedure on Friday.
EU-wide approach to due diligence needed to regulate cacao sector, manufacturers and NGOs say
Some of the world’s biggest chocolate manufacturers have called on the EU to “strengthen human rights and environmental due diligence requirements of companies in global cocoa supply chains”
Commission official: EU should re-examine renewable energy rules
The recently updated Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) has drawn much criticism and it would be good for the European Commission to look at it again, a high-ranking official in the EU executive has admitted.
Will Germany’s sheep farming industry die out?
Since the German government abolished the mother sheep premium in 2005, shepherds have been suffering financially. But given that 22 other EU member states still award such a premium and since Germany could reintroduce such a bonus at any given time, shepherds continue to protest. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Whole Grain Partnership- A unique ‘Stealth Health’ Opportunity
The recent EAT-LANCET report emphasised a ‘plant-forward’ diet where whole grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts and legumes comprise a greater proportion of foods consumed, as a means to improve both human health and the health of the planet. John Athanatos is...
The EU’s outermost regions and their food: local flavours that break distances
The European Union (EU) has nine outermost territories shared between France, Spain and Portugal. Although geographically distant, these overseas territories are an essential part of the EU.