Agrifood

Commission ‘not afraid’ of global coalition against EU’s food policy

EU agriculture commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski has stood by the environmental ambition in the Commission's pivotal food policy, the Farm to Fork strategy (F2F), which has been targeted by the creation of a new global coalition focused on productivity.

Media Partnership – The road to COP26: is beef a climate change villain?

As countries put forward their net-zero pledges on the run up to COP26, debate has intensified on strategies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across different sectors. In the same way that low carbon agriculture is already a reality in many places, many argue that livestock can also be produced sustainably, with little or no GHG emissions.

Ball now in court of German states to protect species in agriculture

Aus Sicht der EU-Kommission soll Deutschland bei der Umsetzung der EU-Agrarreform stärker den Schutz der Biodiversität fördern. Mit welchen Maßnahmen dies geschieht, kommt noch auf die Pläne der Bundesländer an.

How will Germany implement the CAP’s green targets?

EU farm ministers agreed to a new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in July that favours "greener" farming practices, with terms like "eco-schemes" and environmental "conditionality" taking centre stage during the negotiations. But what does this concretely mean for German agriculture? EURACTIV Germany reports.

Germany’s roadmap for greener CAP subsidies

EU countries have been given more freedom than ever to implement national agricultural policies that are more climate and environmentally friendly. But where does Germany stand when it comes to implementing the EU's plans for a greener agriculture?

German farmers, environmentalists slam current state of eco-schemes

Farmers and environmentalists are calling on Germany to improve the implementation of the green architecture in the Common Agricultural Policy. But between German elections and looming deadlines, it is unclear whether this can be done on time. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Time to tip our food systems towards a sustainable and equitable future

By finding well targeted 'tipping points', a sustainable, resilient, and more equitable world food system can still be created, argue Simon Sharpe and Tim Lenton.

Upcoming election could shake up Germany’s stance on gene editing, CAP funding

As the campaign for Germany's 26 September federal elections approaches crunch time, EURACTIV Germany took a look at what the elections could mean for key agricultural policy issues - from scrapping farmers’ direct payments to the use of new genomic techniques.

Greens wage battle against Commission over antimicrobials regulation

A new delegated act proposed by the European Commission to tackle anti-microbial resistance (AMR) has drawn harsh criticisms from the Green group in the European Parliament, who are calling for the use of antibiotics in animals to be restricted.

German supermarket chain REWE to remove most foreign pork from shelves

German supermarket chain REWE aims for 95% of its pork to be homegrown to help the sector struggling from disease and high feed prices, prompting the European Commission to warn that over-reliance on domestic supply could in some cases infringe the bloc's competition rules.

Macron announces new French crop insurance scheme

French President Emmanuel Macron has promised to create a new crop insurance system, with a budget of €600 million per year, which will be simpler, faster and more efficient.

COVID highlights need for EU to regulate wildlife trafficking

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the need to regulate the trade in live wild animals, who could carry viruses. In Europe, the lack of regulation on this subject represents a major health risk.

MEPs’ draft report on sustainable farming future sparks controversy

Lawmakers in the European Parliament’s agriculture and environmental committees have staked their preliminary position on the EU's green farming ambitions, voting in favour of a draft report which includes a number of controversial amendments.

Agrifood Brief: Into the woods

Welcome to EURACTIV’s AgriFood Brief, your weekly update on all things Agriculture & Food in the EU. You can subscribe here if you haven’t done so yet. This week: EURACTIV explores the ways in which agriculture can part of the...

Commission, NGOs brace for gene-editing battle

New genomic techniques (NGTs) have received the backing of the European Commission in a strategy paper, while NGOs promise an intense campaign against them over the coming years.

CAP reform passes first Parliamentary hurdle to win provisional approval

Lawmakers have given their green light to a provisional deal on the contentious reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), its first hurdle before final parliamentary approval, expected in November.

Champagne makers mark first win in ‘Champanillo’ legal battle after EU court ruling

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that the EU's protected designation of origin (PDO) for foodstuff and drinks extends to services, allowing the French champagne lobby to carry off a tactical win in a legal battle against a small Spanish restaurant chain.

Macron to push for pesticide phase-out during EU presidency stint

France will push for "an accelerated phase-out of pesticides" at the EU level when it takes on the rotating EU Council Presidency in January 2022, President Emmanuel Macron told the World Conservation Congress which opened in Marseille this week

Greek fires decimate honey sector, opening floodgates for cheap, fraudulent imports

The wildfires that swept across Greece this summer have decimated the country's beekeeping sector, leaving it vulnerable to a barrage of cheap and potentially fraudulent honey imports, EU farmers’ association COPA-COGECA has warned.

Agri stakeholders gear up for last minute push ahead of Farm to Fork vote

Agricultural stakeholders have joined forces for a last minute push on the EU’s flagship food policy, the Farm to Fork strategy, ahead of Parliament’s vote on their draft report outlining their official reaction to the strategy this week.

Agrifood Brief: Bonne dégustation

Welcome to EURACTIV’s AgriFood Brief, your weekly update on all things Agriculture & Food in the EU. You can subscribe here if you haven’t done so yet.PLEASE NOTE: PLEASE NOTE: We’ll be back next week with our EURACTIV agrifood podcast,...

First gene edited ‘cancer-cutting’ wheat trials get the go ahead in UK

The UK government has granted permission for a series of field trials of gene edited wheat for the first time in Europe, marking a move away from the EU’s stance on the matter.