The beginning of 2022 marks the occasion to look back 2021 and see that the global wine trade has reached its highest ever figure, with France consolidating its position as the world’s largest supplier by value, despite sales volumes significantly lower than those of Spain and Italy. Total champagne sales for 2021 are also expected […]
A study from UNICEF finds that children in the world are not fed correctly, calling for joint action on nutrition policy coordination. At the same time, statistics from the EU reveal that Europeans do not reach the recommended portions of fruit and vegetable daily. More evidence on the importance of a healthy diet show the […]
More and more crops that have been genetically modified are being approved for field experimentation, such as lettuce, rice, maize. Whereas in the UK political declaration are pointing at the direction of a more relax legislative environment for gene editing, in China, public authorities are about to draft new rules to ease the application and […]
Rising production costs for all agricultural sectors, particularly livestock, are a concern. Many sectors are demanding higher producer prices and improved farm incomes. Opportunities have developed for some UK livestock sectors as a result of Brexit. In Ireland, however, the vote by MEPs to ban the transport of very young animals is described as a […]
The BECA Committee on Beating Cancer has finally approved the report on the European strategy to fight against cancer. Nutrition is not addressed as much, despite the important role that plays in preventing some type of cancers. Lab-grown meat industry, at the same time, is on the rise, with more million invested in the business […]
In the two past months the European Commission has proposed two legislative initiative packages, notably the Carbon farming initiative and the Soil strategy. The former is about creating a remunerative system for farmers to incentivise the stock of carbon into soil, borrowing the logic of the ETS system already into place; while the former is […]
During the last reunion of the year of the Environmental Council of the EU, Ministers showed to be more resistant to modification of the current GMO legislation, notably in a note advanced by the Austrian delegation calling on the precautionary principle to be applied. At the same time, the Commission still reiterates its commitment to […]
The E3 modelling firm has updated the PRIMES model, regularly used by the European Commission for its impact assessments, taking into account the current conditions of biofuel production, which are very different from those of 10 or 20 years ago. This update assessment shows clearly that the 1G of today have nothing to do with […]
Germany sets course for digital progress, animal welfare, organic farming and the post-2027 CAP Following trilateral negotiations between the Socialists, the Greens and the Liberals (FDP), a 178-pages coalition agreement has been presented, paving the way for a new German government led by the red/green/yellow coalition. An important part of this programme is devoted to […]
In November the negotiations talks on the new government coalition in Germany brought their fruits and a new German agriculture minister from the Green Party, Cem Özdemir, has been confirmed. In the coalitions’ agreement the topic of genetic engineering does not seem to be a priority. On the other side of the Atlantic, the US […]