The relationship between, on the one hand, agriculture and food production and, on the other, trade, is full of contradictions. The sector is perceived as being prone to discord and sometimes reluctant to trade agreements that would appear to benefit other industries. Yet, the agri-food industry is one of the main contributors to the European Union’s balance of trade.
The Russian-Ukrainian crisis continues to have a strong impact on agricultural markets. Trapped between soaring production costs and declining consumer purchasing power, European livestock farmers and animal feed producers face difficulties to plan ahead. Prolonged animal disease outbreaks and the increase in grain prices caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine are expected to reduce […]
The European Commission has recently announced a renewed push to conclude the negotiations of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with New Zealand and Australia. The New Zealand case is paradigmatic, but what Farm Europe outlines below can be largely said about the FTA with Australia. New Zealand has no tariffs on imports of most products. […]
The crisis in Ukraine and its geopolitical consequences are leading to an increase in feed prices, production costs, energy and gas costs, which is putting a strain on European livestock farms. States continue to provide emergency aid to support farmers. Spain, which is particularly concerned by the consequences for monogastric farms, has set up several […]
In the face of the conflict in Ukraine, the month of March was punctuated by government announcements of new sanctions against Russia, and decisions by businesses and citizens to boycott certain products from Russia. The conflict is nevertheless threatening the production of certain crops, notably barley, for which producers fear a shortage and warn of […]
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 […]
In September 2021, the EU Parliament has rejected plans to reserve five specific groups of antibiotics for use in humans and largely ban them in animals. Developments concerning the avian flu and African Swine Fever are still closely monitored in the EU. At national level, a pig backlog and shortage of CO2 and workers are […]