Agrifood
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.
Forests are crucial for building resilience in a post COVID-19 world
The Commission's new Biodiversity Strategy shows how forests are crucial for building resilience in a post COVID-19 world, writes Giulia Bondi.OpinionPromoted content
Distilling the spirit of sustainability
As the Commission launches the Farm to Fork and furthers the Green Deal, spiritsEUROPE urges the policymakers to take note of efforts already underway by sectors like their own and find ways to encourage and incentivise these efforts and provide certainty and stability in these difficult times.
Coronavirus outbreak exposing vulnerabilities in the EU meat sector
After multiple outbreaks of coronavirus brought meat-processing plants to a standstill across the US, a similar trend has started to be seen across the EU, with potentially damaging consequences for the sector.
What has COVID-19 changed for the EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy?
What has COVID-19 changed for the EU's Farm to Fork Strategy? Nothing apart from underlining the urgency of transforming our food systems, write Nick Jacobs, Celia Nyssens and Nikolai Pushkarev.
CAP budget increase, state aid, no mandatory labelling in F2F
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. Agriculture Commissioner backs Poland’s plan to hike CAP spending The EU’s Agriculture Commissioner,...
EU farm ministers urge EU to explore all options against COVID-19
In order to cope with negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the agri-food sector, member states have reiterated their call for additional measures which, however, are not in the European Commission's pipeline.
Agriculture Commissioner backs Poland’s plan to hike CAP spending
Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski said he will recommend member states to support Poland's position to increase the budget for EU's farming subsidies by 10% than proposed by the Commission in 2018.
EU agri chief warns against risks of state aid overuse in farming sector
Excessive use of state aid to bail out struggling farmers during the COVID-19 crisis could be a cause for concern for the single market and fair competition in the member states, according to the European Commissioner for agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski.
Poland calls for more farm subsidies in EU budget
Poland's government said Wednesday (13 May) it had called on the EU to include bigger farm subsidies in the bloc's future seven-year budget, suggesting an increase of 10% on what had already been agreed.OpinionPromoted content
Modern agriculture is actively under threat – we need to save it
Mycotoxins represent an active and palpable threat to the health of consumers, with millions affected particularly in developing nations. The open hostility towards certain crop protection measures has emphasised this problem, as fungicides are coming under fire. The scientific method and consumer health should be the metrics of public agricultural policy.
EPP proposes law to protect small farmers against oligarchs
The European People's Party group called on Wednesday (13 May) for an EU law to prevent oligarchs and land-grabbers drawing on EU subsidies at the expense of small and medium-sized farming businesses. The practice is widespread in countries in Eastern Europe and Italy.