About: agricultural innovation
Reinforced Horizon budget for 2022 is good news for agrifood
The European Parliament approved the 2022 budget, giving the EU's research programme a €100 million boost, much to the relief of agricultural stakeholders, who previously warned of the impact a cut in funding would have for the sector’s sustainability goals.
Berlin agriculture conference highlights world hunger, climate change
An international conference of agriculture ministers in Berlin on Friday (22 January) focused on finding solutions in times of crisis, like the current pandemic and the subsequent humanitarian catastrophe, and called for combatting world hunger, climate change, and potential new pandemics. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Kyriakides: Investments will match EU’s ambition on sustainable food systems
The EU's determination to become a global leader in sustainability will be matched by investments in solutions to deliver on the commitments set out in the EU's new food policy, Commissioner Stella Kyriakides told EURACTIV.com in an exclusive interview.
Putting all pieces together is Farm to Fork’s nitty-gritty
Reconciling all the numerous policy areas involved in the Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy within one coherent framework has become one of the toughest challenges in the implementation of the EU's new flagship food policy.
EU farmers: Unlock potential of agricultural drones or risk falling behind
Agriculture stakeholders are calling on the European Commission to update the sustainable use of pesticides directive (SUD) and allow the use of drones for aerial spraying of pesticides.
Food security & Climate change post-COVID – Improving the sustainability of EU agriculture
The Covid-19 pandemic has raised questions about the fragility of our food supply, putting food security back on the agenda. Coupled with the on-going threat of climate change, agriculture has a crucial role to play to ensure European food remains...
How much does it cost to ‘sweeten’ a day’s work?
History of agriculture and food has always been the result of constant attempts and innovation, as the impact of beetroot on sugar production and price has shown in the past, three researchers write.
Embracing technology to feed a growing world
It is time for America and Europe to work together to solve the next great challenge facing us - to produce enough food, with fewer inputs, to feed a growing world population - which means embracing innovation and technology in a safe, sustainable agriculture, writes Sonny Perdue.
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.
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.
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.”
Digitalising agriculture: Opportunities and market control
With the new CAP, the EU Commission is set to foster innovation and digitalisation in agriculture. German companies are hoping for multi-billion euro deals, yet management and infrastructural issues stand in the way.
Genome editing is going to be high on next Parliament agenda, MEP says
Protecting plants genetically rather than chemically will become increasingly important in future farming, but this also highlights the need to solve the legal pitfall created by a recent European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling on gene editing, MEP Paolo De Castro told EURACTIV.
Boosting farm innovation fast through cooperation
The European innovations partnerships in agriculture (EIP-AGRI) build bridges between science and practice by connecting farmers, researchers, advisors businesses, and environmental groups.
Putting agriculture at the heart of Africa’s rising
Farming accounts for around 60% of all jobs in sub-Saharan Africa. Governments, the African Union and the EU are keen to promote the industrialization of the African farming sector. But rapid population growth, the effects of climate change and lack of access to finance are among the threats to the future growth of African agriculture and its capacity to feed its people.
Nothing wrong with genome editing in agriculture
While some may see the recent decision of the Court of Justice of the EU that states that organisms obtained by mutagenesis are GMOs and are therefore subject to obligations laid down by the GMO directive as a win for consumers, the reality is just the opposite, writes Neal Gutterson.
G7 can tackle five priorities with one investment: agricultural research
This week the representatives of the world's most advanced economies grapple with complex challenges at the G7 summit. Smart investments need to be made to solve the five key issues addressed at the summit and the smartest investment is in agricultural research, writes Marcon Ferroni.
MEP De Castro: New plant breeding techniques will ensure food quality and quantity
The new plant breeding techniques (NPBTs) are a major opportunity to move toward sustainable agriculture and simultaneously ensure food quality for EU consumers, MEP Paolo De Castro told EURACTIV.com.
New plant breeding techniques concern law interpretation, Commission says
The future of new plant breeding techniques (NPBTs) at the EU level lies in the European Court of Justice’s interpretation of existing law, Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis told EURACTIV.com, adding that the executive will act accordingly at the political level.
With solar water, trees grow into a sturdy business in Western Kenya
Armed with a solar-powered water pump for irrigation and a quarter-acre piece of borrowed land, widow Hakima Mohammed has become a Western Kenya tree tycoon.
Discussion on new breeding techniques heats up ahead of court opinion
Campaigners opposing new plant breeding techniques have organised protests in Brussels on Wednesday (17 January) calling on the European Commission to “prevent GMOs entering the EU market through the back door”.
EU and Gates Foundation pledge €500 million for innovations in agriculture
The European Union together with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pledged on Tuesday (12 December) more than €500 million over the next three years for research and innovation in agriculture.
Digital skills and 5G centre stage as precision farming vies to enter mainstream
Farmers, digital experts and representatives from the agricultural technology industry joined forces in Brussels on Thursday (12 October) to urge policymakers to bring precision farming into the mainstream in the EU.