Sustainable food systems

Commissioner: EU’s sustainable food strategy ‘on pause’, but not forgotten

The war in Ukraine has “pressed the pause button” on the EU’s flagship food policy, the Farm to Fork strategy, but the long term ambition for the sector remains unchanged, according to the EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides.

German agri minister: Sustainable farming key for independence from Russia

German Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir has joined the European Commission in dubbing agriculture a security issue. Making agriculture more sustainable and resilient is an important step towards more independence from Russia, he said in an address to German lawmakers.

EU urged to ban all imports linked to deforestation

Brazilian environmental groups urged the European Union on Monday to pass aggressive legislation banning all imports linked to deforestation, criticizing "gaps" in a draft bill.

Climate change puts increasing pressure on food production, finds IPCC

Ongoing global warming will likely put a major strain on food systems and could make millions worldwide subject to food insecurity, a new report published today by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) finds.

EU wants to reward farmers and foresters for nature-based carbon removals

By 2030, the European Commission wants a complete overhaul of Europe’s natural landscapes – switching from unhealthy ecosystems at risk of emitting carbon to restored homes for biodiversity that capture and store carbon.

Agriculture ministers stumped over details on deforestation-free imports

Member states are divided on the details of a proposal designed to prevent imports into Europe linked with deforestation, despite a concerted push from the French, who have placed the file as a top priority during its rotating EU presidency.

From ‘burp’ to fork: EU approves first methane-busting feed additive for cattle

An innovative feed additive that reduces the emission of methane from livestock farming has been granted formal marketing approval by EU countries.

Finnish MEP: 2020s need to be ‘decade of change’ for Europe’s depleting carbon sinks

The next decade needs to see a huge turnaround in the state of Europe's depleting carbon sinks and more incentives for farmers and foresters to capture carbon, if Europe wants to meet its climate goals, according to Ville Niinistö.

LEAK: Commission banks on biogas to protect EU farmers from energy crisis

Biogas production has been earmarked as a key way to help fortify the EU's struggling farm sector against burgeoning energy costs, according to a draft of the European Commission’s communication on energy prices due to be published next month.

Commission: EU committed to guiding Africa in raising sustainable food standards

The EU "is there" for African farmers and food producers with development support should the increased European green agriculture standards create trade barriers, according to a Commission official.

European Parliament endorses animal welfare report, paving way for new EU rules

The European Parliament has voted in favour of a report on on-farm animal welfare that will feed into the EU’s new animal welfare rules, but the report has been lambasted for supporting controversial practices, such as foie gras production, and favouring economic interests.

IFAD: EU’s food sovereignty is Africa’s shot to boost agricultural growth

Europe’s push to decrease over-reliance on third-country food production is unavoidable due to the pandemic. Still, it could come in handy for encouraging African domestic production, according to the president of the UN’s Rome-based International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

Sixty-eight countries commit to carbon capture, soil protection

A total of 68 countries agreed to contribute to climate protection and biodiversity conservation by protecting agricultural soils at last week's World Conference of agriculture ministers in Berlin. EURACTIV Germany reports.

EU-US announce new agri platform in bid to smooth over deepening cracks

The European Commission and the US administration announced the creation of a new transatlantic collaboration platform on agriculture in a bid to boost knowledge exchange and cooperation, but tensions remain over the wider implications of the EU's push on sustainability.

MEPs slam Commission for delaying release of Farm to Fork report

European lawmakers have criticised the European Commission’s decision to sit on the controversial study on the impacts of the Farm to Fork for half a year, calling it a “sneaky” move designed to conceal its contents.

Commission sat on Farm to Fork report for months, published quietly in August

The European Commission chose to delay for half a year the publication of its controversial report on the potential effects of the EU’s flagship food policy, the Farm to Fork strategy, opting instead for a quiet mid-summer publication, according to documents seen by EURACTIV.

Policy loopholes mean EU farming is haemorrhaging water, say auditors

The European Court of Auditors has condemned weak, and poorly enforced policies that they say give farmers a free pass to abuse water use, levying damning criticism at EU's farming subsidy programme.

Ireland’s decision to export live pigs, sheepmeat to China sparks backlash

Ireland has struck a new deal which will pave the way for the export of sheepmeat and breeding pigs from Ireland to China, in a move which has caused consternation among agricultural stakeholders. The deal, which follows years of negotiations,...

Commission ‘not afraid’ of global coalition against EU’s food policy

EU agriculture commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski has stood by the environmental ambition in the Commission's pivotal food policy, the Farm to Fork strategy (F2F), which has been targeted by the creation of a new global coalition focused on productivity.

EU Agri Commissioner dangles promise of ‘comprehensive’ Farm to Fork impact assessment

The EU’s Agriculture Commissioner, Janusz Wojciechowski, has teased stakeholders with the promise of a 'comprehensive impact assessment' of the Commission's pivotal food policy, the Farm to Fork strategy (F2F), but remained vague as to what this means in practice.

UN experts decry own food summit as putting profit before people

A group of UN human rights experts have joined in the criticism of this week’s UN Food Systems Summit, warning in a statement that instead of having the promised “people’s summit”, the most marginalised and vulnerable risk being left behind.

MEPs’ draft report on sustainable farming future sparks controversy

Lawmakers in the European Parliament’s agriculture and environmental committees have staked their preliminary position on the EU's green farming ambitions, voting in favour of a draft report which includes a number of controversial amendments.

Agri stakeholders gear up for last minute push ahead of Farm to Fork vote

Agricultural stakeholders have joined forces for a last minute push on the EU’s flagship food policy, the Farm to Fork strategy, ahead of Parliament’s vote on their draft report outlining their official reaction to the strategy this week.