Food chain sustainability
Reducing meat consumption to reduce CO2 emissions: a sustainable challenge
Eating habits are responsible for carbon dioxide emissions and many countries could improve their carbon footprint by changing them. European countries are not all equal in terms of CO2 emissions, but an effort could be made.
Ecolabels have lost all credibility, report claims
Lack of transparency, oversights, confusion… A report by the Dutch Foundation Changing Markets, published on 3 May, reveals the inefficiency of environmental labels, particularly for seafood, textiles and palm oil. EURACTIV's partner Le Journal de l'environnement reports.
EFSA boss: EU food law overhaul ‘a big step towards transparency’
The European Commission has learned its lesson from the glyphosate controversy and is coming forward with “bold proposals” on transparency, says Bernhard Url. The raw data of all industry-funded studies related to pesticides will be made publicly available under Commission plans, he told EURACTIV in an interview.
EU governments, businesses, consumers must work together to demand sustainable fisheries
As the seafood industry enters an era that many experts say will bring growing demand and dwindling supply, every player in the supply chain must work to advance sustainability and end illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, writes Amanda Nickson.
Europeans will have to recycle half of their waste by 2025
European households and businesses will have to recycle at least 55% of their municipal waste by 2025, according to stricter new rules passed by the European Parliament on Wednesday (18 April).
Stakeholders call for strong enforcement to combat unfair trade practices
EU lawmakers and farmers have welcomed the European Commission’s rules on unfair trade practices but have called for “strong” enforcement to protect the weakest parts of the food supply chain.
WTO relaunches negotiations on fisheries subsidies
The WTO has recently announced that negotiations on fisheries subsidies around the world will be relaunched, with the aim to secure an agreement by 2019.
Chocolate firms still have long way to go to have sustainable policies
Chocolate companies still have “a huge amount of work to do” in implementing truly sustainable policies, with some doing much better than others, the Washington-based NGO Mighty Earth concluded in a consumer guide ranking chocolate producers, published a few days ahead of Easter.
Commission study shows path to end agricultural deforestation – now it must act
A new feasibility study on options to fight deforestation will be a litmus test for the European Union’s commitment to halt deforestation by 2020, writes Nicole Polsterer.
Italian farmers team up to face increasing market pressure
IItalian farmers say they have been the “weak link” in the country’s fragmented food chain and are seeking ways to effectively organise themselves in order to increase their bargaining power in the agricultural market.
Greenpeace: Cut out meat to meet Paris Agreement goals
The world needs to cut the production and consumption of meat in half by 2050 in order to meet the climate goals of the Paris Agreement, a new Greenpeace report said.
Will Europe reform the value chain in the food industry?
Trade relations in the agricultural sector remain a source of tensions between large retailers and farmers, while a legislative proposal is expected at European level. EURACTIV.fr reports.
French councillor pushes Commission to act on food waste
Arash Derambarsh, French councillor for Courbevoie known for his campaigns against food waste, is calling for a European directive on the subject before the May 2019 elections.
Halting deforestation – a critical contribution from the EU
Halting deforestation and allowing forests to regrow would provide at least 30% of all mitigation action needed to limit global warming to 1.5°C. As a major importer of products linked to deforestation, the EU has the leverage to make a difference, writes former UN climate chief Christiana Figueres.
DowDuPont boss: Merger will speed up innovation to face farming challenges ‘quickly’
A merger between Dow Chemical and DuPont (DowDuPont) aims to accelerate innovation in agriculture to help all farm sizes, as well as rapidly facing up to future challenges, DowDuPont’s Pierre Flye Sainte Marie told EURACTIV.com in an interview.
Salmonella on the rise again, EU officials admit
The incidence of Salmonella in humans was almost halved between 2004 and 2009 but new figures show that it has re-appeared, causing worries for food producers and health workers, but also for EU policymakers.
Ivory Coast cocoa sector hit by certification fraud
In the Ivory Coast a large proportion of cocoa comes from its protected forests. This illegally grown cocoa is then marketed by major chocolate manufacturers, with certification procedures having little impact on this illicit trade. EURACTIV.fr reports
Farming debates in 2018: Innovation and the new CAP
In light of Brexit, there is no doubt that the future of the EU agricultural policy will dominate discussions in Brussels in 2018. But the need for innovation and the introduction of new technologies in the sector will spark intense debates and trigger strong reactions from green NGOs.
World Bank agri boss: Investing in technology will help all farmers
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has strengthened Europe’s farming sector and reduced rural poverty, but the EU must now push for the adoption of technology and open source data to drive better outcomes for all farmers, Juergen Voegele told EURACTIV.com in an interview.
Council and Parliament agree on ‘flexible’ fishing limits for North Sea
EU member states and Norway reached a preliminary agreement with the European Parliament late on Thursday night (7 December) on fishing limits in the North Sea ahead of next week's Fisheries Council.
EESC: EU needs a comprehensive food policy
Europe needs to revolutionise its approach to food, focusing on sustainability and health to tackle the many challenges of the future, said a report published on Wednesday (6 December).
Mystery of the eel: Europe’s own ivory trade
The European Commission has proposed a ban on eel fishing in the Atlantic, in an attempt to recover the dwindling stock of the European eel, a critically endangered species that is traded illegally by an industry that is worth millions of euros.
Time to move fish welfare from principle to practice
The unseen life of farmed fish has given them low visibility in civil society, in policy circles, and in the animal welfare movement, despite scientific consensus that fish are sentient, and suffer pain, fear, and stress. Now it is time to act, writes Douglas Waley.