GMOs
Forest protection likely to be new priority for EU Parliament
Large areas of forest are being cleared worldwide for the agricultural industry. Although the EU requires its contracting partners to protect the environment, it lacks the means for enforcement. Environmentalists and the European Parliament see an urgent need for action. EURACTIV Germany reports.
World’s sixty largest meat, dairy and fish farms ranked in new sustainability index
A group of concerned investors has examined the sustainability of the world's largest fattening farms and dairy factories that supply the global food industry. And the results aren't mouth-watering, EURACTIV Germany reports.
Protein discussion likely to be on next European Commission agenda
Fires that consume the Amazon rainforest are often started by farmers who are attempting to meet the growing demand for soybeans. Now, France wants to convince its European partners of the EU's potential role as a leader on the plant protein market. EURACTIV France reports.
Organic farmers oppose separate framework for new plant breeding techniques
Any attempt to exclude the so-called new plant breeding techniques from the GMO legislation would deal a severe blow to consumers, farmers and processors, according to the EU organic farmers’ movement (IFOAM).
Eyeing US trade deal, new UK PM whets biotech industry appetite on GMOs
Eyeing a quick trade deal with the United States after Brexit, UK's new Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tried to revive discussions over Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).
Give the people what they want: Non-GMO sells
For many years leading European food retailers have been following a strict non-GMO policy. Retailers are the parties most concerned when it comes to GMO regulation. For them, the proper implementation of the ECJ ruling is crucial, writes Heike Moldenhauer.
French opposition is strongly united against CETA
The French parliament is supposed to ratify the Canada-EU free trade agreement (CETA) on Tuesday (23 July), but the pending ratification is generating a great deal of opposition in the country. EURACTIV France reports.
EU agriculture chief slams ‘misinformation’ on Mercosur trade deal
There's a lot of misinformation and misplaced facts which have distorted the debate about the recently concluded Mercosur trade deal, EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan has said.
French MEP: When it comes to the environment, the future CAP is regressive
In an interview with EURACTIV France, French MEP and vice-chair of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group Eric Andrieu spoke about the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and highlighted its lack of environmentally-focused provisions.
Has Europe lost the new biotechnology battle?
The EU's rules on GMOs risk stifling innovation in biotechnology and could lead to China and the US increasing their patent domination, writes Marcel Kuntz.
CETA and Mercosur meat quotas expose France’s double standards
While France is challenging the meat quotas provided for in the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, it plans to ratify the EU-Canada free trade agreement (CETA), which has been criticised by French beef producers. EURACTIV France reports.
Farming innovation debate heats up as Greens grow in Europe
The rise of Green parties in the last EU elections has raised eyebrows in Brussels, where agriculture stakeholders try to find out what is next in the debate about the future of EU farming.
Syngenta foundation official: Asia and Africa will feed the world sustainably
If we’re going to feed the planet sustainably by the middle of the century, the food has to come in much larger volumes from Asia and Africa, told EURACTIV.com in an interview Simon Winter, head of Syngenta Foundation.
Tackling the next agricultural revolution together
It has been over 12,000 years since the Neolithic Revolution, when our nomadic ancestors began planting roots, quite literally -- trading in their hunter-gatherer lifestyles to cultivate crops. Today we’re facing another revolution in agriculture – one we must tackle together, writes Neal Gutterson.
Companies seek clarity on breeding innovation to stay in EU
A number of breeding companies have promised to relocate their advanced mutagenesis breeding programmes outside Europe and others will follow if nothing is done to change EU rules, Garlich von Essen, the secretary-general of the European Seed Association (ESA), told...
14 EU countries call for ‘unified approach’ to gene editing in plants
The Netherlands and Estonia are leading a coalition of 14 EU member states calling on the next European Commission to update EU GMO laws with regard to so-called new plant breeding techniques (NPBTs).
EFSA boss: Next time we should also assess consequences without glyphosate
The next re-authorisation process for the controversial glyphosate weedkiller should also include an assessment of a potential ban of the substance in terms of food availability, biodiversity and farmers’ income, Bernhard Url told EURACTIV.com in an interview.
Commission in search of ‘robust response’ to gene editing challenge
The EU executive has already prepared the ground for a new initiative on gene editing to overhaul the current GMO legislation, EU agriculture commissioner Phil Hogan has said.
The EU future of new plant breeding techniques
New plant breeding techniques (NPBTs) emerged as an innovative agricultural solution in the last decade, allowing the development of new plant varieties by modifying the DNA of the seeds and plant cells.
Netherlands launches 2030 vision to protect biodiversity in agriculture
The Dutch government has launched a new vision for the country’s agriculture, which prioritises the protection of natural resources and the reduction of the sector's environmental impact.
US agriculture minister: Europe will pay the price for ignoring science
Europe is a “technology-free zone” when it comes to agriculture and it will pay the price for that, US Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has said, criticising the EU for ignoring science on new technologies in farming.
Genetic innovation: ‘Nothing that we eat is natural’
The world is in constant need of more food and new genetic engineering methods such as the CRISPR gene editing method offer a solution. However, these remain contested, EURACTIV Germany reports.
Corteva official: Gene editing EU court ruling has sparked debate globally
An EU Court decision that confirmed that new plant breeding techniques fall under Genetically Modified legislation has generated more reaction and more discussion than “we would have ever anticipated”.