Innovation in agriculture

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.

Andriukaitis: Europe should take lead in science-based plant innovation

The EU is leading the science-based fight against climate change and it will also lead on science-based plant innovation, writes former EU Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis.

UK faced with EU-US biotechnology dilemma post-Brexit

The question of whether the UK will open its doors to GMOs after Brexit has become more pertinent after EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier told MEPs on Tuesday (26 November) that in order to secure a trade agreement, the UK would have to agree to maintain a ‘level playing field’ and not undercut EU regulation.

Taking action on agricultural emissions: a Kiwi farmer on our shared challenge

As a farmer, I’m all too aware of the effects of climate change. My sheep and beef farm, on the east coast of New Zealand, has always experienced a wide variety of weather, but in recent years this has become more extreme, writes Mike Petersen.

MEPs slam gene-editing court ruling as damaging for SMEs

It is much easier for larger companies to implement new GM legislation, but it's the smaller ones that are most affected by the recent gene-editing ruling, the chair of the agriculture committee (AGRI) MEP, Norbert Lins, told EURACTIV.com at the sidelines of a recent plant breeding conference.

‘Burdensome administration’ means young farmers are missing out on EU subsidies 

Young farmers accessing land via non-conventional contracts are eligible for EU subsidies, according to the European Commission. But in practice, burdensome administrative constraints often outweighs any financial advantage, meaning that landowners are cashing in while young farmers are missing out.

Clothing imports to the EU: Achieving sustainability & transparency in the supply chain

The EU’s retail clothing sector sources textiles and clothes from all over the world. In addition to sourcing at the most competitive rates, they must also consider how industries, such as cotton production, are regulated in different countries, both in terms of the environment and international labour standards.

2,500 scientists urge EU to reform environmentally ‘damaging’ CAP

More than 2,500 scientists across the EU have joined forces and reached out to the EU parliament in a letter urging them to “to act on the science, and undertake a far-reaching reform of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) without delay.”

New scientific research offers hope for overcoming olive tree killer

A number of promising results from innovative EU funded research presented at the recent scientific conference suggest that we might be one step closer to beating the olive trees killer Xylella fastidiosa.

Aristoil: Getting the best out of Mediterranean olive oil

Aristoil, an EU-funded Interreg MED project, has been trying to boost the competitiveness of the Mediterranean olive oil sector by providing innovative methods to identify the “healthiest” part of it.

‘Women bring bad luck to crops’: fighting stereotypes in agriculture

There is an urgent need to fight gender stereotypes in EU agriculture as women’s multilevel skills have a lot to offer in the future of the field, center-left MEP Isabel Carvalhais has said.

Biotechnology: Europe’s next ‘hot potato’

The discussion over the future of biotechnology in Europe heated up after the EU Court ruled in July last year that gene editing should, in principle, fall under the GMO Directive. We focus on the future of biotechnology in Europe, the regulatory framework of the so-called new plant-breeding techniques, as well as GMOs.

Andriukaitis: 100-year old production models cannot achieve food sustainability

According to the UN, the amount of food produced globally needs to double to feed a rising world population. Policymakers are poring over ways to ensure the sustainability of food systems while emerging new technologies, promising to tackle climate change, still face resistance.