Food safety
Stakeholders say digitisation key to optimise fertilisers’ use
The digitisation of Europe’s agricultural sector will play a crucial role in optimising the use of fertilisers in order to help feed a rising population and simultaneously to decrease their negative environmental footprint.
EU’s new draft food law weak on traceability, activists warn
Insecticides in eggs, salmonella in baby milk – how can major food scandals continue to occur, despite strict EU rules? The EU is currently revising its food law but for consumer protection campaigners, the proposals do not go far enough to ensure full traceability. EURACTIV Germany reports.
EU fertiliser industry at the crossroads between nutrition and energy
We live in fascinating times where technology is evolving at an ever-increasing pace, spurring major shifts in many industries. This is also the case for the fertilizer sector, writes Jacob Hansen, director general of Fertilizers Europe.
Fertiliser industry vows to feed one ‘extra Germany’ per year
The EU fertilisers industry published its 2030 vision on Wednesday (21 November), stressing the need to optimise fertiliser use across Europe and improve production in order to adjust to the principles of the circular economy and feed a growing world population.
Biodiversity can benefit from new technologies, EU official says
It is the duty of scientists to point out what could be accomplished by using new plant breeding techniques (NPBTs), according to European Commission official Barend Verachtert, who praised the virtue of new technologies in agriculture at an event organised by EURACTIV on 5 November.
Civil society questions Europe’s ‘perfect’ pesticide authorisation system
No pesticide should be authorised if it is found to have harmful effects on humans, animals, the environment, and the ecosystem, the new coalition “Citizens for Science in Pesticide Regulation” said in a manifesto launched on Wednesday (31 October).
EU agriculture ministers to decide on EFSA’s budget, sources say
The exact amount of money that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) will receive under the new food transparency rules will be decided at the level of agriculture ministers, sources close to the issue told EURACTIV.com.
Europe needs more time to re-approve copper pesticide
Negotiations on the re-approval of copper compounds, which are due to be gradually phased out, are still ongoing. The European Commission is expected to present a new proposal to EU member states next month, at a meeting that was not originally scheduled.
French minister: A glyphosate ban now would put some farmers out of business
France’s Agriculture Minister Didier Guillaume has come out in defence of the decision to postpone the ban of glyphosate until 2020, saying that a number of farmers would be unable to carry on if the governemnt had already enforced the ban.
New food transparency rules risk falling victim to EU institution spat
The future of the new proposed rules on food transparency is unclear, as the European Parliament and the Commission disagree on the timeframe to move the discussion forward.
Science and public opinion: Where do politicians stand?
Policy makers, industry and civil society are trying to find a way to reconcile scientific evidence with public opinion’s beliefs when it comes to food safety. However, this has proved time and again to be a difficult challenge.
Agriculture digitisation not only for controls, stakeholders ‘remind’ the EU Commission
The much-awaited digitisation of the EU farming sector has taken centre stage in the last few years. But its ultimate application in the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is still unclear.
Business confidentiality: The ‘hot potato’ of new EU transparency rules on food
EU stakeholders are playing ping-pong with the body that will be responsible for deciding whether or not to break business confidentiality and make industry studies public, in line with the terms of the new transparency rules on food safety. EURACTIV.com reports from Parma.
Industry questions WHO’s conviction about health impact of sugar taxes
The industry believes that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has no evidence to back its claim that sugar taxes are an effective way to improve public health. Instead, the industry says, taxes only lead consumers to cheaper brands with similar or even higher calorie content, which may undermine any positive health outcome.
Sowing the seeds of the post-2020 CAP
In June 2018, the European Commission unveiled its much-awaited plans for the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). In light of the Brexit and the emergence of new priorities such as security and immigration, the Commission proposed a 5% cut in...
Amended Commission food proposal ‘completely inadequate’, says foodwatch
The European Commission continues to serve the interests of big companies rather than consumers, and this will lead to new food scandals soon, the European consumer organisation foodwatch said on Tuesday (10 July).
Polish project aims to stop food travelling more than you do
One EU-funded project in Poland all started with a girl allergic to food additives and ended up with an innovative start-up, which connects 150 farmers with 100,000 people who want to eat healthy food straight from the producers. EURACTIV Poland reports.
Plant breeding innovations can help to future proof our farming system
Reading the opinion of Greens / EFA members of the European Parliament on plant breeding, one can’t help but be amazed by their obsession with GMOs, writes Garlich von Essen.
Commission throws the ball to EU capitals on future of short food chains
The development of short food supply chains (SFSC) is constantly gaining ground in the EU. Producing and consuming locally is seen as a way to achieve fairer remunerations for farmers and higher quality local food products.
Mercosur: Don’t sacrifice our food standards and tropical forests for trade
The trade agreement currently being negotiated by the EU and Morcosur will increase poverty and accelerate the demise of European farmers by subjecting them to unfair competition, argue Perrine Fournier and Yannick Jadot.
EU farmers: Prevention is better than cure for sustainable livestock
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.
Insufficient consideration for food issue in CAP
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.
Innovation in animal health: Sifting the tangible actions from the political ideas
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.