Agrifood Archives

The European Commission unveiled on Friday (1 June) its plans for the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy, triggering a strong reaction from EU farmers and the environmental community for cutting the budget, giving member states too much leeway and fudging environmental and climate issues.

Bayer is nearing the completion of its mega-merger with Monsanto after the American Justice Department gave its green light but stakeholders in Germany and the United States, as well as shareholders, have expressed concerns about the risks linked to the transaction.

Prevention is far better than cure when it comes to animal diseases and creation of sustainable livestock. Vaccination may play a role in reducing the need for antibiotics, but it needs to be accompanied by other "tools", like education and training, farmer representatives and EU politicians have told EURACTIV.

Olivier De Schutter, a co-chair of the international expert panel IPES-Food, calls on the European Commission to lay the foundations for a Common Food Policy. EURACTIV.fr reports.

Over the past fifty years, the EU has done a stellar job in moving from a very fragmented national approach to animal disease control to a progressively more harmonised system of animal health measures, disease surveillance, diagnosis and control, writes Roxane Feller.

The next reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) should bring agricultural and food policies out of their respective silos and align actions across different areas in support of building sustainable food systems, write Sirpa Pietikainen and Bart Staes.

There is growing criticism in France of increased subsidiarity of the future Common Agricultural Policy for the 2021-2027 period, which the Commission seems to favour, EURACTIV.fr reports.

An innovation-driven approach – ranging from vaccination to other health management solutions and appropriate biosecurity measures – will ensure more sustainable future livestock farming and protection of public health, as animal diseases do not recognise borders, Roxane Feller told EURACTIV.com.

The European Commission’s proposal to cap agricultural payments and provide more support for small farms has divided farmers in the Czech Republic. But there are other issues they should focus on, such as the ageing rural population and the challenges of modern technologies. EURACTIV.cz reports.

French MEP Eric Andrieu discusses the role of the EP’s PEST Committee, which he chairs, to respond to comments suggesting that it is at a dead-end.

A survey conducted by Greenpeace has found that 25 out of 46 MEPs of the European Parliament’s agriculture committee have “strong” links to the farming industry.

The European farming sector today faces a number of challenges: producing better food for a growing population while respecting the environment and ensuring good living standards to farmers.

By using the right technology and agricultural practices, the agricultural sector will be able to reduce its carbon footprint and harmful ammonia emissions, experts said at a EURACTIV panel discussion on 16 May.

The end of sugar quotas coincides with the collapse of prices on the world market. This is currently more of a problem  for sugar refiners than sugar beet growers, who are still protected by contracts. EURACTIV.fr reports

French President Emmanuel Macron has to make his political identity clear and clarify whether he is a “real progressive” who wants to contribute to a social Europe, S&D President Udo Bullmann told EURACTIV in an interview.

Food waste processed via anaerobic digestion can significantly improve nutrient recovery in the soil, and the process may have significant use in sustainable agriculture and in fighting climate change, David Newmann, president of the World Biogas Association, told EURACTIV.com in an interview

The EU should embrace the new plant breeding techniques as the best chance to supply enough food for the EU's population, according to mainstream EU farmers. But organic farmers oppose this and a lot may depend on a European court ruling due before the summer.

Agriculture is one of the sectors most affected by climate change. However, it also contributes to the release of gases like ammonia and greenhouse gases (GHGs), affecting the quality of air and biodiversity.