CAP reform
The added value of EU quality schemes
Europe’s farmers are coming under extraordinary financial pressure as shifting export markets and volatile prices take their toll. But new markets are emerging and consumers in Europe and beyond are increasingly choosing to buy high-quality products from the EU.
EU, Brazil propose farm subsidies overhaul to help developing countries
The European Union and Brazil yesterday (17 July) proposed to the World Trade Organization a reform of farm subsidies in order to "level the playing field" for emerging economies, an EU statement said.
French anger at CAP co-financing proposal
The European Commission’s suggestion that EU member states co-finance part of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the biggest consumer of the bloc’s budget, has met with steady support in Germany and exasperation in France. EURACTIV France reports.
CAP reform: From sustainable feed to sustainable food
The German-Hungarian ‘Soya Declaration’ finally gets us talking about what matters in CAP reform, write Olivier De Schutter, Oscar Rivas and Karin Nansen.
Parliament narrowly adopts pesticide ban for ‘ecological areas’
The European Parliament narrowly endorsed a ban on the use of pesticides on arable land set aside for nature conservation on Wednesday (14 June), prompting a leading environmental group to call for a rethinking of how the bloc's multi-billion agricultural policy is decided.
Burden faced by Africa’s small farmers masked by focus on migration and poverty
Some 70% of the world’s food is grown by smallholder farmers, the majority in the developing world, who will have to help output double by 2030 to keep up with population growth, a panel of experts at the European Development Days in Brussels heard on Thursday (8 June).
Romanian MEP points out ‘green contradiction’ of organic trade deal
A recent trade deal on organic products between the EU and Chile has sparked a discussion regarding the environmental footprint of organic products transportation.
EU’s biofuels policy damages investor confidence, farmers claim
The European Commission’s “unstable” policy on biofuels has created uncertainty among investors and undermines the market as a whole, the head of the EU farmers’ lobby told EURACTIV.com.
EU biofuels policy: What is the impact on rural development?
EU farmers are “very concerned” about the impact of the European Commission’s change of heart on biofuels, claiming the EU's restrictive policy is putting thousands of rural jobs at risk.
Precision farming may drive down food prices, Commission claims
Precision farming practices in the EU could play a role in driving food prices down, European Commission sources told EURACTIV.com.
EU agricultural income since 2005
Challenges ranging from volatile markets, high input costs and the Russian ban on agricultural exports to sluggish Chinese demand, have put a great deal of pressure on the income of EU farmers
What consumers want: A supply chain for farmers and consumers
Over the past few years, price volatility has become a central concern for European farmers and consumers due to changes in demand, supply and the structural characteristics of the market.
A new EU agricultural policy for people and nature
Despite previous reforms, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) largely continues to support a resource-intensive and high-impact agricultural model which is not fit for today’s societal and environmental challenges, writes Jabier Ruiz.
No quick and easy fix to food price issue, EU official admits
There will be no easy solution to high food prices in Europe unless the supply chain is made transparent and farmers get organised to take a bigger slice of the market, a European Commission official has warned.
Help nature – change agriculture
Europe's food and farming system is broken. It's not protecting farmers, nature or people. We can change it now: http://www.wwf.eu/living_land/
Spanish farmers say new CAP should provide dignity
Agri-food producers recognise the need to become competitive and sustainable. But they also need to deal with market volatility, price imbalances in the value chain, uncertainty generated by free trade agreements and Russia's ban on EU imports. EURACTIV’s partner EFEAgro reports.
Weak cooperatives and high input costs hike Greek food prices
In Greece, cooperatives play a limited role in the food supply chain. Combined with rising overhead costs, this has contributed to the erosion of local farmers' incomes, while emptying the wallets of consumers.
Short food chains seen as answer to farmers’ pay and product quality
Local markets, where farmers and producers sell directly to the consumer, have prospered across the EU in both rural and urban areas in recent years.
Farmers under pressure
EU farmers’ income has come under rising pressure from a number of factors, ranging from climate change, high input costs, the Russia embargo and sluggish demand from China.
French farmers’ union puts post-2020 CAP consultation at risk
A letter, sent by the French farmers’ union to its local members, raises concerns about the credibility of the post-2020 CAP consultation, and data protection linked to it.
Commission: The future relies on boosting ‘Smart Villages’
In an effort to revitalise rural communities and make them more attractive and sustainable, together with MEPs, the European Commission on Tuesday (11 April) launched an EU action called “Smart Villages”.
Kofi Annan: ‘What is the point of economic growth if you cannot breathe?’
Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan called yesterday (28 March) for investment in developing countries in order to “produce more food with fewer resources”, while making agriculture more sustainable.
Commission: Technology will make farming more transparent to consumers
Technologies can enhance “transparent farming” and, as a result, better inform European consumers about the food they eat, a European Commission spokesperson told EURACTIV.com.
Smart farming seeks role in post-2020 CAP
Precision farming could play a leading role in making EU agriculture more sustainable. But green NGOs claim that the concentration of food production in the hands of the agri-food industry will have catastrophic consequences.