Food chain sustainability
MEPs want less EU money going to intensive farming
Lawmakers in the European Parliament's environment committee have voted for a reduction in subsidies going to intensive farming under the common agricultural policy as of 2021. EURACTIV France reports.
New treaty bans commercial fishing in the Arctic for 16 years
The European Union and nine other countries, including the US and Russia, approved an international agreement on Thursday (14 February) that will prohibit commercial vessels from fishing in the Arctic in order to preserve the region's fragile ecosystem.
Collective of 400 EU stakeholders call for a ‘common food policy’
400 agriculture-related EU stakeholders, convened by the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food), has mapped out a new governance architecture for food systems in a bid to create sustainable food systems under a ‘Common Food Policy’.
Poland admits exporting suspect beef to ten EU countries
The European Commission will send a team of inspectors to Poland on Monday after a TV report showed sick cows being butchered for food in a Polish slaughterhouse.
Citizens are fed up with industrial agriculture
Europe's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was a big issue at this year's Green Week in Berlin. With all the billions of euros available, the agro-ecological transition is more than possible, especially if subsidies to agribusiness and factory farms were stopped, write Harriet Bradley and Trees Robijns.
Time to give up sacred EU budget cows
As EU member states debate the bloc’s next 7-year budget, no sector should be off-limits. Annika Hedberg argues that each euro spent should provide added value for the EU and its citizens, including the agricultural sector, a major recipient of EU money.
Scientists call for radical change of diet to transform global food system
The global food system needs urgent reform, less meat consumption and more legumes, as three billion people worldwide are malnourished and food production is exceeding planetary boundaries, scientists have warned in a new report.
Greek minister: CAP budget should be maintained to ensure agriculture sustainability
If a proper balance between resources and obligations in the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is not achieved, the future of the EU agriculture and countryside will be uncertain, said Greek agriculture minister Stavros Arachovitis.
Greek farmers fume against mayor who banned short food supply chains
The mayor of Kozani, a city in northern Greece, decided to ban the “movement without intermediaries”, which had created a direct link between local farmers and consumers.
Spanish producers go digital to shorten food supply chains
Spanish producers are increasingly taking advantage of the booming Internet and digital commerce in order to shorten the supply chain and therefore improve their profitability.
Campaigner: Short food supply chain is more than selling local products
Short food supply chains have a multidimensional role to play. They can help revitalise European farms by encouraging young people to work the land, but they also provide cheap and healthy food to consumers and attract tourists, campaigner Geneviève Savigny told EURACTIV.com in an interview.
Short food supply chains in Europe’s south
The concept of short food supply chains (SFSC), where intermediaries between farmers and consumers are removed, was introduced in the 2014-2020 CAP and has risen in recent years. According to a study carried out by the European Parliamentary Research Service...
Green MEPs: New CAP is not ambitious on short food supply chains
The development of short food supply chains, where intermediaries between farmers and consumers are removed, provides consumers with healthier food and especially in the case of Europe’s south, major opportunities to enhance agrotourism, Green MEPs told EURACTIV.com.
Decisions on unfair trade practices will make or break its usefulness for producers
The forthcoming Unfair Trading Practices (UTPs) directive, which is being finalised in negotiations over the next two weeks, aims to tackle the worst behaviours of the big food buyers, writes Thomas Wills.
Forests and Frankfurters: Why Germans’ love of meat is causing destruction in Latin America
Farming is the world’s biggest driver of deforestation, and beef and soya production are the prime culprits, writes Nicole Polster.
From field to city: Are direct deliveries a viable business model for farmers?
Most farmers sell their products to large food companies and therefore lose large proportions of their income to long supply chains. But individual farmers manage to sell directly to customers. Is this a viable model? EURACTIV Germany reports.
EU Parliament resists retailers’ pressure, starts talks on unfair trade practices
Brushing aside pressure from EU retailers, the European Parliament gave Paolo De Castro, a socialist MEP and rapporteur for unfair trade practices, the mandate on Thursday (25 October) to immediately start trilogue negotiations on the issue with the EU Council and Commission.
New EU bioeconomy strategy widens scope to solve more cycle problems
The European Commission's new strategy is seeking to create a sustainable bioeconomy and build a carbon-neutral future. Rather than just find a replacement for petroleum-based products, the strategy addresses broader cyclic challenges, including food and nutrition security.
EU retailers pressure MEPs to kill unfair trade practices proposals
Retailers are putting pressure on EU lawmakers to postpone a much-awaited vote next week on the European Commission’s proposed directive on unfair trade practices, EURACTIV.com has learnt.
Unfair trade practices bill faces last chance next week, warns De Castro
Next week’s European Parliament vote on the proposed unfair trade practices (UTPs) directive is crucial as there will be no time to pass the bill in this legislature in the event of a non-approval, the MEP piloting the file has warned.
Worldwide study: Women say gender discrimination persists in agriculture
Discrimination against women in the farming sector is still widespread, though less than a decade ago, according to a global study carried out by Corteva AgriscienceTM which concluded that empowering women could help revive rural areas and meet the rising food demand.
One French farmer commits suicide every two days, survey says
One French farmer commits suicide every two days, according to a survey conducted by the French national public health agency. The EU farmers' union said this alarming situation should be addressed immediately, emphasising that the farming community deserves better recognition.
As cruel industrial pig farming persists in the EU, one million citizens demand change
Under the European Commission’s indulgent eye, the race to the bottom in the EU’s pig industry pushes profits to the edge at the cost of pig welfare, against law and public opinion. But a movement of citizens and NGOs is gaining momentum to demand change in the industry's methods.