Science and Policymaking
EU needs an ambitious Bio Act, says MEP Weiss
Est. 6minEurope needs a Bio Act according to MEP Pernille Weiss (EPP). Weiss and other expert speakers at the European High-Level Summit on Biosolutions said failing to develop an effective biosolutions framework will lead to a stifling of innovation and growth.
EFSA chief shares inconvenient truths about sustainable food, Green Deal
Est. 6minTopics such as the changing of food habits and who bears the cost for the transition are politically sensitive and are not addressed in the debate on sustainable food systems, said EFSA director Bernhard Url, who is expected to leave in May after 10 years at the helm of the Authority.
EU Commission moves to ban Bisphenol A in food packaging
Est. 3minThe European Commission launched a consultation on a draft proposal to phase out the use of the controversial chemical bisphenol A in food contact materials, including plastic boxes, protective coatings for cans, and food processing equipment.
Rural sociologist: Farmer protests a reaction to ‘the crisis of globalised agriculture’
Est. 4minThe tractors blocking the streets of Europe are a reflection of the hardship of growers coping with the contradictions of the current system of food production and consumption, rural political sociologist Natalia Mamonova told Euractiv in an interview.
Commission convinced on ability to stringently assess risks, safety of lab-grown meat
Est. 3minResponding to the concerns of a majority of member states on the potential impacts of the technology, Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said that the EU is on “very solid ground” when it comes to risk assessment and labelling.
Austria, France and Italy lead charge against lab-grown meat
Est. 3minVienna, Paris and Rome, along with nine other EU countries, are set to argue that meat grown in a laboratory is a threat to "genuine food production methods", a claim a diplomatic source told Euractiv is "exaggerated and premature".
Commission asks industry, member states for ‘input’ into EU fertilisers communication
Est. 5minThe European Commission has met with industry and member states to ask for proposals for its upcoming fertiliser communication, but seemingly has no plans to broaden consultations, a move that has sparked backlash among NGOs.
European Parliament endorses animal welfare report, paving way for new EU rules
Est. 5minThe 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.
MEP: Commission, Council aim to include organic in EU agri-statistics review
Est. 5minNegotiators aim to include organic agriculture in the EU's agricultural statistics review and digital technologies can provide a creative way to reduce any additional burden on farmers, the file's rapporteur Petros Kokkalis told EURACTIV in an interview.
EU farmers huff and puff over return of the ‘big bad’ wolf
Est. 5minA thriving European wolf population has reignited tensions with the EU farming community, leading European lawmakers to call for a reconsideration of the wolves' high protection status in the EU to the chagrin of conservationists.
Macron announces new French crop insurance scheme
Est. 3minFrench President Emmanuel Macron has promised to create a new crop insurance system, with a budget of €600 million per year, which will be simpler, faster and more efficient.
Experts: Deadly floods made worse by misguided farming practices
Est. 5minGerman environmental organisations are calling for flood protection measures to be improved and for a change to the way agricultural soils are used weeks after catastrophic flash floods deluged the country and left more than 200 dead across Western Europe. EURACTIV Germany reports.
‘Audience-first’ approach needed to boost public trust in science, say experts
Est. 5minThe wider population's trust in the the scientific community when it comes to food issues remains low and institutions must adopt an 'audience-first' approach to help change that, experts have warned.
Report: majority of consumers want compulsory labelling on all genetically modified food
Est. 6minA majority of European consumers want to see compulsory labelling on food products containing genetically modified crops, according to a recent Ipsos report, but industry players insist that this is impossible to implement.
EU-Africa partnership must reflect ‘realities of African agriculture’
Est. 4minFuture 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.
How American agriculture can work with the EU on food sustainability
Est. 4minWe must build more resilient, sustainable global food systems that can feed an increasingly hungry world, or there will be dire consequences, warn Kip Tom and Ronald J. Gidwitz.
Women must be ‘at the heart of sustainability conversation’ in farming, says MEP
Est. 5minWomen farmers must be at the forefront of the sustainable farming discussion, but they say there are still barriers in the way and a lack of support for their entry into the profession.
Campaigners call on EU to halt export of banned pesticides
Est. 5minCivil society organisations are calling on the EU to halt the production and export of banned pesticides to third countries, some of which they say can be detected in food sold back to the EU market.
UK gene editing amendment withdrawn, but government commits to consultation
Est. 4minAn amendment tabled in the new UK agriculture bill, designed to allow access to new gene-editing technology, has been withdrawn but the government has pledged to conduct a public consultation on the issue, amid indications that it could eventually be in favour.
MEP: Precision farming should be part of member states’ recovery plans
Est. 5minPrecision farming practices, including digital farming, are the best way to deliver the EU's strategic goals of being green, smart and safe and should be part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plans of all member states, according to MEP Petros Kokkalis.
EU still reflects over agri-innovation as UK mulls moves forward
Est. 7minWhile the EU considers the potential role of new innovative techniques to protect harvests from pests and diseases, on the other side of the Channel, the UK is getting ready to open the door to new gene-editing technologies post-Brexit.
Sustainability and innovation should go hand in hand in the EU
Est. 5minIn the last two decades, Europe has decided to go its own way in agricultural policies. While both North and South America, and also Japan have moved to even more technology-driven modern agriculture, Europe went backward and keeps banning more and more scientifically proven advances and methods in agriculture.
EFSA will keep British experts despite Brexit [Part II]
Est. 6minThe European Food Safety Authority will keep UK experts in its ranks despite Brexit, because science does not recognise borders "and we want to have the best people", the EU food watchdog chief told EURACTIV.com in an exclusive interview.
EFSA chief: Assessing fast-changing agrifood innovation is key challenge [Part I]
Est. 8minBeing equipped with the right methods to assess industry’s rapidly changing innovation will be a key challenge for the European Food Safety Agency, (EFSA), Bernhard Url, the EU food watchdog's chief, told EURACTIV.com in a wide-ranging interview.