The European Union needs to produce, while decreasing the impact on the environment and climate, and to contribute to global food security while respecting the planet’s boundaries.

In Europe, livestock farming is at the heart of the public debate. The EU livestock model faces challenges to ensure its economic viability while adapting to increasing societal and environmental demands. However, there are many points of discussion that should be addressed altogether in a consistent way.

Health, biodiversity, climate & environmental impacts and benefits, economic potential as well as social fabric intertwined with livestock activities must be fully integrated in the European strategy to shape a sustainable way forward for Europe.

The event will take place in the European Parliament, on the 3rd October, from 2.30 p.m. to 4.00 p.m., hosted by Benoît Cassart, MEP. It will be an opportunity to dialogue with scientists, representatives of the animal sector as well as decision makers.

Opening remarks by Benoit Cassart, MEP

•⁠  ⁠State of play & challenges for the livestock sector of the mandate, Dominique Fayel, President of Copa-Cogeca’s Beef section, Ana Granados Chapatte, European Forum of Farm Animal Breeders & Luc Vernet, Farm Europe.

•⁠  ⁠⁠The point of view of scientists with Nicolas Perreaux, veterinary (“En direct de mon élevage”), Didier Stilmant, Agronomic research center of Wallonia, Frederic Rolin, University of Liège and Jean-Baptiste Dolle, Idele.

•⁠  ⁠⁠The international approach to livestock sustainability, by Emmanuel Coste, International Delegate for the CNE (GASL, FAO, etc.)

•⁠  ⁠⁠The Perspective from the European Commission, by Pierre Bascou, Deputy Director at DG AGRI.

Debate with the audience, Questions & Answers.

Closing remarks by Benoît Cassart, MEPs.

Over the past four years, several crises have significantly impacted our world, prompting a reassessment of the European Union’s sovereignty in the face of current challenges. As we approach the European elections, it becomes crucial to outline a strategic vision for Europe that will shape our direction from 2025 onward, leaving a lasting imprint on the lives of Europeans. 

This strategic vision must focus on enhancing our capacity to provide sustainable solutions for the food, bio-economy, and energy needs of the Europeans. Simultaneously, we must acknowledge our responsibility to address global food requirements. Leveraging European expertise, we should integrate production and economic efficiency, secure our food supply and well-being, safeguard the environment and fight climate change. 

These pivotal challenges will be the central themes of the 7th edition of the Global Food Forum, titled “2024 : Time for an ambitious European farm deal !”. Farm Europe aims to gather European political leaders, key figures from European institutions, national ministers, business leaders, and members of civil society during this event.

If you wish to participate in these two days of reflection where recommendations will be crafted, please register via the above link.

Confirmed Speakers : 

• David Clarinval, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture, Belgium
• Wolfgang Burtscher, Director general, DG for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
• Dacian Ciolos, Member of the European Parliament, former European Commissioner, and Prime Minister
• Anne Sander, Member of the European Parliament (EPP), 1st quaestor of the parliament
• Clara Aguilera, Member of the European Parliament (S&D), S&D Comagri Coordinator
• Marie Pierre Vedrenne, Member of the European Parliament (Renew Europe), Vice-President of the INTA Committee
• Irène Tolleret, Member of the European Parliament (Renew Europe)
• Norbert Lins, Member of the European Parliament (EPP), President of COMAGRI
• Paolo De Castro, Member of the European Parliament (S&D), former Minister of Agriculture
• Herbert Dorfmann, Member of the European Parliament (EPP), EPP COMAGRI Coordinator
• Peter Jahr, Member of the European Parliament (EPP)
• Franc Bogovic, Member of the European Parliament (EPP)
• Claire Bury – Deputy Director-General for Food Sustainability, DG SANTE, European Commission
• Catherine Geslain-Laneelle, Director of Strategy and Political Analysis, DG AGRI – European Commission
• Ettore Prandini, President Coldiretti
• Arnaud Rousseau, President FNSEA
• Nazar Bobitski, EU Office Director, Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB)
• Benjamin Lammert, President FOP
• Elli Tsiforou, CEO Gaia Epicheirein
• Eric Thirouin, President AGPB
• Martine Leguille-Balloy, President FICT
• Franck Sander, President CGB
• Piero Gattoni, President Consorzio Italiano Biogas (CIB) 
• Dimitris Kapnias, Senior Manager, Neuropublic
• Cristina Cionga, Deputy Managing Director, The Forum of Professional Farmers and Processors from Romania
• Emmanuel Coste, Confédération Nationale de l’élevage
• François Schmitt, President Groupama

Farm Europe participated at the kickoff meeting of the ScaleAgData Horizon Europe research project, which aims to create better data products & services by combining farm sensor data and Earth observation (EO) data.

An underexploited source of data is generated by sensors used in agriculture, as they capture crucial information on the crops and the surrounding agri-environmental conditions. Tapping into this source and upscaling them through the integration with other data (e.g. satellite) could result in enhanced capacities for regional agri-environmental monitoring. Given that there is a severe reference-data gap on a local & regional level, there is still a huge potential to unlock of EO & agricultural data from in-situ sensors!

The goals of the project is to make the data count by gaining insights in the governance of complex agri data streams, as well as in upscaling them. Innovation is foreseen for sensor technology, data analytics & EO products.

With these outcomes, ScaleAgData aims at contributing to the overall competitiveness and sustainability performance of the European agricultural sector, and to the work of the HE candidate partnership “Agriculture of Data” and the Soil Mission.

The ScaleAgData consortium consists of 25 partners that represent research institutes and infrastructure providers, technology and agri-tech SMEs, machinery producers and EO service providers, think tanks, insurance companies and data integration companies from across Europe.

For Farm Europe’s other agri data related research initiative see DIVINE.

BioMonitor4CAP is a research project aiming to develop advanced biodiversity monitoring to show which agricultural practices and policies work best at conserving farmland biodiversity. Twenty-three partner organisations from 10 European countries and Peru participate in this project funded through the Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. 

Agriculture covers around half of the European terrestrial land surface, and intensive agricultural land-use is one of the major drivers affecting habitat and species diversity in agricultural landscapes. The EU 2030 Biodiversity and Farm to Fork Strategies aim to halt biodiversity loss while preserving European and global food security and ensuring human well-being. Yet, regulations implementing these strategies have to be negotiated and finally decided by the co-legislators. At this stage, the outcomes of these negotiations are still unclear. However, what seems quite crystal clear if that in any case results-based monitoring of progress will be needed.

Efficient and representative strategies are required to monitor biodiversity and its loss or recuperation through space and time.

With the participation of Farm Europe, the BioMonitor4CAP project will test, validate and develop affordable and reliable biodiversity monitoring systems that work both on farmland and in Natura 2000 sites by combining classical biodiversity indicator systems with technology-driven approaches such as acoustic, optical or molecular approaches. The project will develop predictive response models to recommend appropriate changes in land management to improve on-farm biodiversity. “Such biodiversity monitoring systems are needed to implement result-based policies in European agricultural landscapes”, say Dr. Nils Borchard, DLG and Prof. Christoph Scherber, LIB.

The project will involve multiple stakeholder groups to ensure successful implementation of newly developed biodiversity monitoring systems.

Farm Europe participated at the kickoff meeting of the DIVINE Horizon Europe research project, which aims to understand and exploit the benefit of an agri-data economy.

DIVINE – which stands for “Demonstrating the value of data sharing to boost the agri-data economy” – is under the call HORIZON-CL6-2021-GOVERNANCE-01-20 on “data economy in the field of agriculture – effects of data sharing and big data”. The research project will (1) build an ecosystem for sharing and analysing data sets, and (2) demonstrate a series of real-world pilots.

The project’s objective is to show the cost benefits and added value of sharing agri-data. To do this, it will develop an agri-data ecosystem that combines data already commonly shared while also using industry-led pilots that are devised on data-sharing plans.

Our task is to lead the work of WP6, namely  ‘Agri Data Sharing Governance Models and Policy making’.

As part of the PAPILLONS Horizon 2020 research project, Farm Europe has participated at the ECOMONDO this year. The ECOMONDO is a benchmark event in Europe for technological and industrial innovation with leading experts in the circular economy.

PAPILLONS was invited by the European Commission to showcase its project at a cluster meeting with other Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe projects, which contribute to the EU Plastics Strategy.

Amongst others, this includes the research project focusing on creating:

• knowledge on the sustainable use of agricultural plastics
• a digital atlas on agricultural plastic
• harmonized analytical methods for soils
• risk assessment framework for MNP in soils

Moreover, we had the opportunity to highlight the work on agricultural plastics to the participants of the expo.

We would like to kindly thank the European Commission for its invitation!

Farm Europe is part of the PAPILLONS research project, which has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101000210

Farm Europe & Pluri-Agri is happy to invite you to its online event on “Carbon & Agriculture : certifying sequestration and GHG reduction” on the 29th of June from 10 to 12 o’clock under the patronage of MEP Martin Hlaváček.

With their unique ability to capture CO2 from the atmosphere, the agricultural and forestry sectors are a cornerstone in contributing to the objective of the European Green Deal to successfully deliver on climate action.

Due to their activity on maintaining and enhancing soil organic carbon, EU farmers are indispensable to reach a climate neutral EU, and represent a driving force for change, however they need the right incentives and support to be able to develop and deploy carbon removal solutions. Besides the need for added GHG emission reductions, creating sustainable carbon cycles through carbon farming can function as an added mitigation potential, which is at the same time beneficial for our lands.

The Commission’s new initiative (Certification of carbon removals) is aiming to do just that by proposing EU rules on certifying carbon removals, meaning that it will develop the necessary rules to monitor, report and verify the authenticity of these removals. At the same time, time is ticking, as the Commission has set the objective to reach climate neutrality by 2035 in the combined land use, forestry and agriculture sector at the EU level.

These developments represent major impact on the way farmers operate across Europe, and an opportunity to define a common EU standard for the transparent identification of activities that remove carbon from the atmosphere in a sustainable way.

Join this online event to discuss the challenges faced by the farmers and policy-makers to make the most out of the upcoming rules on certifying carbon removals.

Questions to be discussed at the event include: 

• How can the EU help its Member States to implement the new rules on certifying carbon removals?
• How can carbon farming contribute to the creation of new value chains and business opportunities for farmers?
• What is the relationship between carbon farming and the CAP Strategic Plans?
• What initiatives already exist at Member States level for carbon removals?
• Which concrete measures and practices can be most beneficial for carbon removals?
• How to encourage farmers to uptake these carbon farming measures?

The event will be opened by Mr. Martin Hlaváček, rapporteur for the European Parliament on the subject of carbon in soils. Interpretation will be available in English & French.

AGENDA:

• Introduction 
• MEP opening statement
• Commission presenting initiatives
• Researchers’ perspectives
• Farmers’ practices
• Discussion and Q&A
• MEP closing statement

In order to receive the Zoom link for the event, make sure to register by sending an email to info@farm-europe.eu!

On May 11th, from 10 to 12 a.m, we will be hosting the online event organised by Life Gaia Sense by the title ’Smart Farming for sustainability’. 

During the event, speakers will explain the final outcomes of the EU Life-funded project, bringing their experience on how smart farming technologies can contribute to more sustainable farming systems. 

More information to be coming soon and found in the flyer attached. 

Save the date in your calendar!