Sustainable food systems
EU gives green light to bloc’s first edible insect
Dried yellow mealworms are the first insect food to receive the go-ahead for marketing authorisation in the EU after a favourable opinion from member states.
MEP: Livestock breeding ‘neglected’ in fight to tackle antimicrobial resistance
Animal breeding has been neglected in the conversation on tackling the looming global crisis of antimicrobial resistance, according to Green MEP Sarah Weiner, who stressed a need to focus on breeding animals for resilience over productivity.
European Commission open to consider cage rearing ban initiative
Three members of the European Commission have reacted positively to a public petition requesting the phase-out of cage rearing in the EU, expressing support to the initiative.
Pandemic whets French appetite for organic, locally produced food
The coronavirus pandemic has changed the eating habits of the French, according to Agence Bio's 18th barometer on consumption and perception of organic products. In 2020, more people tended towards eating more local, in season, and organic. EURACTIV France reports.
French mosques fear slaughter policy change is ban on halal chicken
Several major French mosques have expressed concern that a proposed ban on the slaughter of poultry without first stunning the animals would effectively lead to a ban on halal chicken, while the agriculture ministry says this concern is unfounded. EURACTIV France reports.
Spain’s agri-minister: We are EU’s ‘vegetable garden’ thanks to innovation, quality
Spain is the "vegetable garden of Europe" and the sector remains competitive thanks to a combination of quality, innovation and meeting consumer demands, the Spanish Minister of Agriculture, Luis Planas, told EURACTIV's partner EFE agro.
EU farmers boss: Commission leaving agri sector to wait like ‘animals for slaughter’
By choosing to impose green objectives without undertaking a comprehensive impact assessment, the European Commission is leaving the EU farming sector vulnerable and waiting like “animals to be slaughtered”, according to the head of the EU farmers association.
African farmers say they must be trained for Farm to Fork
African farmers fear being left alone in making sense of and applying environmental standards required by the European Union’s new food policy, said the voice of Kenya’s horticulture producers, who warned that without help, the new rules could jeopardise trade with Europe.
MEPs demand action over cattle stranded at sea in ‘diplomatic limbo’
European lawmakers are urging authorities to take action over the thousands of cattle currently stranded at sea in “diplomatic limbo” in order to spare the animals any additional and unnecessary suffering.
Meat debate heats up in Italy after remarks by new ‘super minister’
Italy's livestock farmers are fuming after the newly appointed ‘super minister’ for the ecological transition said the amount of animal protein consumed should be decreased and replaced with plant-based alternatives.
Expert: Antimicrobial resistance is the ‘new climate change’
Diseases evolving to become resistant to medicines is a hidden threat to humanity as dangerous as climate change, an animal health expert has told EURACTIV, warning that more must be done to reduce the use of antimicrobials in agriculture.
Beyond Farm to Fork: the ‘agricultural’ side of EU’s biodiversity strategy
The European Union's bid to tackle biodiversity loss goes hand in hand with the new ambition of making the food system more sustainable, involving several farming aspects.
Snubbed European Parliament enters final laps of Farm to Fork race
The EU's new ambitious food policy is ready to face tough parliamentary scrutiny from lawmakers who feel being pushed aside by the European Commission.
Almost half of French people have cut meat consumption in last three years
French people tend to eat less meat than before, according to the results of the Harris Interactive survey published on Thursday ( 25 February). This change in eating habits can only be welcomed, both from an environmental and health perspective. EURACTIV France reports.
Systemic misuse of EU agri grants in Central-Eastern Europe, report finds
Common agricultural subsidies continue to be systematically misused across countries in Central and Eastern Europe, despite numerous attempts by the European Commission to remediate the issue, according to a new report commissioned by the Greens/EFA political group.
Unfair competition not top concern in green farming ambitions, says EU official
The discussion about pushing forward the green agenda globally should put less emphasis on the unfair competition for farmers that may arise as a consequence, a Commission official said recently, but the claim was quickly refuted by the farming community.
Level of food security in the EU is not uniform, report shows
European countries performed differently in a study that measures the state of global food security, showing an internal discrepancy within the bloc that put Europe behind North America in the ranking of regions.
Fight over inclusion of labour rights in CAP heats up
The ongoing debate over the inclusion of provisions on workers' rights in the reform of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has kicked up a notch with the publication of a letter from more than 300 European organisations advocating for social conditionality.
Farm To Fork – Can it lead to a ‘gold-standard food system’ in Europe, focused on SDGs?
The Farm to Fork Strategy is at the heart of the European Green Deal, aiming to make food systems fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly.
EU-Africa partnership must reflect ‘realities of African agriculture’
Future agrifood partnerships between the EU and Africa take into account the realities of farming in Africa, especially in the context of a drive for a greener transition, agrifood stakeholders have warned.
Restaurants face ‘wave of bankruptcies’ after lockdowns
The food services sector has been hit hard by the Coronavirus pandemic, but governments are struggling to find ways to reopen safely.
Commission launches plans for EU sustainability ‘code of conduct’ for food businesses
The European Commission has taken its first steps towards launching a 'code of conduct' for actors along the food chain, as part of its aim to increase the sustainability of the food system.
COVID crisis ‘trigger’ for innovation in hospitality sector, say researchers
The COVID-19 crisis has deeply impacted the hospitality sector, but it has also been a trigger of business model innovation and this must be encouraged to help businesses adapt to the "new normal", according to new research.