Agrifood
Bundesrat postpones controversial vote on caging pigs, again
Germany's Bundesrat has, once again, postponed the controversial vote on caging pigs today (5 June). Animal welfare activists and the Greens are calling for stricter regulations but farmers fear high costs. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Brexit no deal could ‘severely disrupt’ agrifood sector
The failure to conclude a trade agreement between the EU and the UK would have serious consequences for the agrifood sector for both parties, according to a joint statement released by major EU agrifood stakeholders on Thursday (4 June).
EU unable to curb biodiversity loss on farmlands, auditors say
The EU's decade-long policy effort to reverse the biodiversity loss has not come to fruition, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) warned in a report published on Friday (5 June).
Biomass can contribute to sector integration in Green Deal
Member states can integrate their Energy and Climate plans into the Common Agricultural Policy to develop sustainable and resource-efficient biomass value chains, write David Chiaramonti and Calliope Panoutsou. Sector integrated biomass policies at national level will facilitate prioritisation within geographic...
CAP budget, meat sector struggles, wine package
Welcome to EURACTIV's AgriFood Brief, your weekly update on all things Agriculture & Food in the EU.
Lifting the haze: Why air pollution action doesn’t stop at cars
As Germany faces a national lawsuit on air pollution, Ugo Taddei asks: should other countries worry?
EU consumers open to exploring more sustainable diets, but lack information to do so
EU consumers are influenced by environmental concerns and willing to change their eating habits accordingly but lack of information, high prices and limited availability of sustainable foods still stand in the way, according to a new survey from the European Consumer Organisation, BEUC.
MEPs threaten to sink unambitious COVID-19 wine package
Lawmakers in the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee (COMAGRI) turned down a section of an aid package proposed by the Commission for wine, fruit and vegetable producers, as it wasn't ambitious enough to cope with disruption caused by the pandemic.
Agriculture has fundamental role to play in fighting climate change, says French socialist MEP
In an interview with EURACTIV's partner Le Journal de l'environnement, French socialist MEP Éric Andrieu (S&D) said that climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic make it necessary to put agriculture back at the heart of the debate and to change the agricultural model with targeted tools and resources.
COVID-19 could be ‘straw that breaks meat industry’s back’ says new report
Nearly three-quarters of the world’s largest meat, fish and dairy companies have been graded as a ‘high' pandemic risk and criticised for their inability to prevent the emergence of new zoonotic diseases in a new report released on Wednesday (3 June).
Commission defends reinforced CAP budget to greening EU’s farming
It is very difficult to make EU's main farm policy greener when figures on the bottom line are red, said budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn in an attempt to uphold the latest proposal of increased spending for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
EU food stocks: Should gear up for a rise of food protectionism?
The EU is preparing to change its agricultural storage policy at a time when the COVID-19 health crisis has highlighted the weaknesses of its reserves. EURACTIV France reports.
What the EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy means for farmers in the Global South
The EU's new Farm to Fork strategy is a good start towards a 'just transition' in European farming, but what will it mean for farmers in the Global South, asks Isabelle Brachet.
UK farmers group backs call for allowing access to gene editing technology
The UK National Farmers Union (NFU) has backed calls made by a cross-party group for the new Agriculture Bill to allow British farmers to access to gene-editing technology post-Brexit.
EU’s new food policy will match CAP goals, Commission says
The new Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy is compatible with the general thrust of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)'s proposal presented in June 2018, provided that its core aspects are confirmed in the legislative process, the European Commission has stressed in response to a query from EU lawmakers.
Commission hikes CAP’s second pillar spending to deliver Green Deal
The European Commission has proposed boosting the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) with an extra €20 billion to support greening the EU's farming sector, using the recently unveiled Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy as a vehicle.
European Patent Office endorses EU’s stance on conventionally-bred plants
The longstanding legal saga on patentability for plants obtained by conventional biological processes has been seemingly put to an end after the Enlarged Body of the European Patent Office (EPO) published an opinion upholding the EU's standpoint.
COVID-19 crisis could ‘kick off digital revolution in agriculture’
Digital farming is set to boom in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis, given its capacity to help the EU farming sector improve its sustainability and recover from the outbreak's impact. But there are also considerable concerns raised about the pace of this change and whether farmers are adequately prepared for it.
Commission re-opens controversial advanced biofuel list in transport
The European Commission has launched a stakeholder consultation to expand the list of the so-called advanced or second-generation biofuels of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II), EURACTIV.com has learnt.OpinionPromoted content
IPA Europe priorities and recommendations for a holistic approach on probiotics in Europe, for informed consumers and a sustainable food industry
IPA Europe publishes it’s Manifesto: focus on a European industrial strategy, safeguarding the world leadership of the European food industry and continuing to offer high quality products to European consumers
Farm to Fork strategy softens stance on meat but backs alternative proteins
The EU's pivotal Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy, presented on Wednesday (20 May), softened its stance on meat compared to the previous draft versions but offered staunch support for alternative proteins, which campaigners said was the first step in the right direction.OpinionPromoted content
Sustainable food production concerns us all
The recent COVID-19 crisis has significantly changed the way we all work and live. As we’ve all been restricted to a life of lockdown and quarantine, it has reminded us that we still live in an unpredictable world and how challenging it has been to find some stability in our lives. During this crisis, farmers did not fail us.
New food policy to triple amount of agricultural land farmed organically by 2030
The EU's Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy has targeted 25% of agricultural land in the EU being organically farming by 2030, a three fold increase.