About: agroforestry
Agrifood Brief: A State of the Agricultural Union
Welcome to EURACTIV's AgriFood Brief, your weekly update on all things Agriculture & Food in the EU.
Farmers need financial reassurance to support uptake of agroforestry
In a clear nod to the strategic importance of agroforestry, the term has now cropped up in both the European Green Deal, the European Commission's roadmap for making Europe the first climate neutral continent by 2050, and the EU’s flagship new food policy, the Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy.
EU climate plan blows hot and cold on forestry, biomass
While recognising the positive role of forests in mitigating global warming, the European Commission has riled the agroforestry and biomass industries by stating its intention of limiting growth in the sector.
Commission under fire for including ‘carbon sinks’ into EU climate goals
The European Commission on Thursday (17 September) defended its plan to bring carbon removals from agriculture, land use and forestry into the EU’s updated climate target for 2030, saying this was in line with UNFCCC standards.
How the EU could snatch defeat from the jaws of victory on climate
The European Commission's commendable move to aim for emission reductions of "at least 55%" by 2030 risks being completely undermined if the target also takes into account “reductions and removals” from forest growth and tree planting schemes, warns Bert Metz.
The hyping of negative emissions
EU lawmaker Jytte Guteland has proposed ambitious EU climate targets, but a cornerstone for reaching them remains shaky, says Kelsey Perlman.
Finnish MEP: ‘Political fight begins’ over Europe’s old-growth forests
The forests in Europe that can be considered “old growth” – and therefore declared protected areas – depends on the definition, says Petri Sarvamaa. “And that’s where the political fight begins,” he told EURACTIV in an interview.
Von der Leyen’s first 100 days: Are Europe’s forests – and the climate – in good hands?
The Green Deal promoted by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has the potential to strengthen European, as well as global, forests and make a significant contribution to the fight against climate change, writes Hannah Mowat.
Time to restore our forest heritage, not plant more lonely trees
Donald Trump surprised environmentalists when he announced the US would join the World Economic Forum’s one trillion tree planting initiative, writes Peter Wohlleben. However such schemes can turn into disasters if they aren't implemented the right way, he warns.
French forest industry not taking advantage of ever-growing forests
The forest continues to expand in France, according to industry figures, but the industry is not making the most of it. EURACTIV France reports.
Bioenergy, forestry sectors jump on EU’s green finance bandwagon
Bioenergies, including wood, biofuels and forest-based industries, should be recognised under the EU’s draft sustainable finance taxonomy, in line with the recently-updated renewable energy directive, an industry coalition has claimed.
Half a billion euros to flow into Germany’s forests
Climate change is causing problems for Germany's forests, as large woodland areas are dying. The ministry of agriculture is now planning to unlock millions of euros in aid to help prevent new forests from dying out. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Large companies fail to disclose impact on deforestation
Almost three out of four companies with a significant footprint on the world's forests have failed to provide data on their impact on global deforestation in 2018, according to a study published by environmental non-profit organisation CDP on Tuesday (16 July).
French low-carbon label plants seeds of agricultural and forestry transition
A new label aims to encourage the emergence of projects that reduce and sequester greenhouse gas emissions. EURACTIV’s partner le Journal de l’environnement reports.
Burning trees as climate mitigation: A resort to the Court
There is no debate that burning wood for energy emits more greenhouse gases per unit of energy than burning fossil fuels. Yet the EU's renewable energy directive continues to uphold that burning forest wood is "carbon neutral," write Jean-Pascal van Ypersele and Mary S. Booth.
EU dragged to court for backing forest biomass as ‘renewable energy’
A group of plaintiffs from Estonia, France, Ireland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, and the US are filing a lawsuit against the European Union on Monday (4 March) to challenge the inclusion of forest biomass in the bloc’s renewable energy directive.
Finnish agronomist: ‘We need climate-smart agriculture’
A lower carbon balance can be achieved by sequestering CO2 through plant growth, a notion that has a major influence on how Finland manages its forests and croplands, says Liisa Pietola. EURACTIV Germany spoke to the Finnish agronomist in an interview.
Paper, the forgotten forest destroyer
As the world awakes to the threat posed by palm oil and soy to our forests, it’s in danger of overlooking how paper and packaging drives industrial logging, mis-shapes millions of hectares of forest landscapes and creates monoculture plantations, writes Sini Eräjää.
The EU’s trade challenge
The international trading system is facing a crisis – but protectionism isn’t the biggest test EU leaders must deal with, writes Perrine Fournier.
Could EU-Indonesia free trade deal end palm oil conundrum?
As a new round of free trade negotiations between the European Union and Indonesia begins in Brussels, Perrine Fournier argues that improving forest governance should be central to any agreement.
Forests are crucial in salvaging the Paris goals – EU must lead the way
In addition to halting deforestation, the European Union must support efforts to allow forest regeneration and sequestering more carbon dioxide, write Heidi Hautala and Carlos Zorrinho.
US forests, sustainably managed, really can help Europe decarbonise
Campaigners have warned about the environmental dangers of bioenergy, saying burning wood is not low-carbon. However, forests can – and must – be managed in a sustainable way that maintains or even increases the carbon stock, writes Tony Juniper.
Europe’s climate strategy of burning wood for energy isn’t working
Opposition to the use of forest biomass for energy generation is going mainstream, writes Linde Zuidema, as evidence builds that wood is being burnt in large scale inefficient coal-fired power stations.