Innovation in agriculture

EFSA chief: Assessing fast-changing agrifood innovation is key challenge [Part I]

Being equipped with the right methods to assess industry’s rapidly changing innovation will be a key challenge for the European Food Safety Agency, (EFSA), Bernhard Url, the EU food watchdog's chief, told EURACTIV.com in a wide-ranging interview.

LEAK: EU plans ‘common data spaces’ to exploit agriculture and health potential

The EU aims to create common data spaces to increase the quality of services when it comes to agriculture and healthcare, according to a European Commission data strategy draft seen by EURACTIV.com. In the field of agriculture, inspired by a...

DG AGRI backs new breeding techniques for pest management

Tasos Haniotis, the deputy director-general at European Commission's DG AGRI, views new breeding techniques as a way to manage pests in agriculture, according to a leaked document seen by EURACTIV.com.

In Paris, organic farming takes over fallow parking lots

In Paris, as in many European cities, the number of cars is declining, which is leaving a vast amount of underground car parks empty. With its start-up project called "La Caverne", Cycloponics is reclaiming these urban territories using them as a way of growing plenty of organic vegetables. EURACTIV France reports.

Mutagenesis techniques must be subject to GMO regulation, says French court

The French government has been ordered to adapt its policy on plants developed using certain new plant breeding techniques (NPBTs), namely gene editing and in-vitro mutagenesis, in order to adhere to stricter rules for genetically modified organisms (GMOs), a French...

Italian minister: Unlike gene editing, GMOs belong to the past

Italy's agricultural minister Teresa Bellanova expressed an interest in developing sustainable biotechnology, in the light of a milestone agreement on next-gen biotech between farmers organisation Coldiretti and the Italian Society of Agricultural Genetics (SIGA).

‘New GMOs’: Kyriakides gets off on wrong foot with biased consultation

The new EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides recently told EURACTIV.com that her “priority is to gather more information” on gene editing. To this end, she said, "we will be preparing a study on new genomic techniques, foreseen for spring 2021”. Clearly, the design and set-up of such a study will be crucial to its outcome, writes Nina Holland.

Renew Europe vows to break ‘taboos’ in EU agriculture

The centrist Renew Europe group in the European Parliament aims to “break taboos” in the agricultural sector, according to one of its Czech deputies, Martin Hlaváček.

Fighting fire with fire: pest control by playing nature at its own game

Biological pesticides are rapidly gaining attention as a sustainable and viable environmentally friendly alternative to chemical pesticides. However, they are currently hampered by maladapted regulation.

New tool for assessing soil health could help link payments with ecosystem services

A UK farming technology company has teamed up with leading space industry engineers and soil biologists to create a new tool to accurately assess biodiversity and soil health on farms.

EU health chief wants more information on gene editing

The new EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides wants more information about the controversial issue of gene editing and for now, she seems less enthusiastic than her predecessor Vytenis Andriukaitis.

EU health chief wants more information on gene editing

The new EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides wants more information about gene editing and for now, she seems less enthusiastic than her predecessor Vytenis Andriukaitis.

French MEP calls for ‘realism’ in Farm to Fork strategy

The plant protection part of the upcoming Farm to Fork strategy should take a realistic and science-based approach that allows farmers to “explore all possible solutions”, French conservative MEP Anne Sander told EURACTIV.

Innovation, CAP and Green Deal: A tough equation?

The new Green Deal will have a direct impact on the ongoing negotiations about the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) as EU farmers will be asked to re-adjust the way they work to the new green objectives.

US agriculture chief urges EU to listen to science, not fear-mongering NGOs

When it comes to food, EU policymakers should make science-based decisions if they want to help European their farmers tackle the “legitimate concerns” over sustainability, Sonny Perdue, the US State Secretary of Agriculture, said on Monday (27 January).

France bets on development of biocontrol to solve pesticide problem

Having struggled to reduce the use of plant protection products, France intends to work twice as hard on the development of so-called 'biocontrol' methods. Besides, it is pushing to develop more favourable rules at the European level for the industry. EURACTIV France reports.

Challenges in sustainable agriculture of Croatian small-scale farmers

Protection of small family farms (OPG) and encouraging young farmers is one of the main objective of agricultural policy in Croatia. Still agricultural sector in Croatia suffers a negative image of being unprofitable and undermined.

The situation of small farms in Europe

What is needed to support small and large farms and what are the possibilities for small-area farms to innovate and better adapt to market needs.

Collaborative initiative aims to improve sustainability of EU dairy farming

Eight agricultural sector leaders have announced Farming for Generations, a global collaboration to support dairy farmers to adopt regenerative agricultural practices that preserve and renew our planet’s resources, respect animal welfare and ensure the long-term economic viability of farms for the next generation.

Precision farming ‘saved’ extra virgin olive oil, Greek producers say

Precision farming practices have helped Greek extra virgin olive oil growers keep overhead cost low and ultimately ‘save’ the product from mounting pressure on its market price, EURACTIV Greece’s media partner Ypaithros Chora reported.

Industry and farmers expect ‘science-based’ solutions to deliver New Green Deal 

The agri-food industry and EU farmers are calling for clarity and science-based solutions to meet their objectives as part of the EU’s recently announced European Green Deal. The new plans, combined with the ‘Farm to Fork’ strategy and a reformed...

Corteva signs first major gene editing deal with European company

Despite the ongoing legal uncertainty over the future of new plant breeding innovation in Europe, US agricultural company Corteva Agriscience has signed the first major deal on genome editing tools with French seed producer Vilmorin & Cie.

EU study to clarify gene editing court ruling further muddies waters

After the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling that organisms obtained by new plant breeding techniques (NBTs) should, in principle, fall under the GMO Directive, the Council of the EU has requested a study from the Commission to clarify the situation. But what this means in practice remains unclear.