NEW GENOMIC TECHNIQUES: MONTHLY NEWS

While the debate on New Genomic Techniques in the EU continues, with European institutions and member states taking clearer positions on the topic – Italian MEPs pledge for the support of the revision of the legislation so to ease the application of new genomic methods for plant breeding; the Italian low Chamber stared formal discussions about the ‘genome editing’ bill; Austria is more than ever convinced to oppose any opening to NGTs -, Japan passed a bill about stricter GM labelling.

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FARM TO FORK STRATEGY: MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

The new Czech Presidency of the Council clearly adopted a different approach on the Farm to Fork strategy compared to previous presidencies: in light of the war in Ukraine and its consequences on the world’s food security, it intends to slow down the process of reform. At the same time, however, Health Commissioner Kyriakides presented to MS and strongly advocated for the advancement of regulations on pesticides use, getting closer to the implementation of one target of the strategy (reduction of chemical pesticides by 50% by 2030): in her presentation, she said that Integrated Pest management methods will be favored, and that pesticides should only be used as the very last resource. A report of the US agricultural department analyzed the effects that the F2F could have on the European milk sector, concluding that, if fully implemented, the milk sector will have to prepare to suffer.

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NUTRITION & HEALTH : MONTHLY NEWS

Cultured meat is developing strategy to gain attention from business, consumers, and regulators. In the UK, the parliament was asked to adopt a more open legislative approach towards this technology, in Japan a company of the sector developed a method to reduce costs in feeding cells, whereas in the US a company is building the largest production center of synthetic meat in the world, while its competitor has been accused of false and misleading claims on the quality of their proteins. In Denmark, a cooperation between university and restaurant is aiming at creating alternative seafood.

In the European Parliament, MEP Ulrike Muller (Renew Europe, coordinator in Comagri) will host in July an event promoting synthetic meat.

On nutrition, a MEP brought back to the attention a WHO report on children living in overweight and obesity, stressing that education should be the main driver for the improvement of health and dietary habits.

A study reveals that information on healthy diet is confused among the public, and that social media (notably Tik Tok) can spread misleading information on dietary patterns.

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NEW GENOMIC TECHNIQUES: MONTHLY NEWS

While the UK is adapting to implement the Precision Breeding bill that will allow for less strict regulation of genome editing, the European Committee on agriculture discussed with the Commission the state of the art of the revision of the EU legislation. The representative of DG SANTE said that the current legislation does not consider the latest scientific developments, and that its proposal will consider a tailored regulatory framework.

In Germany, the national parliament discussed at first reading a proposal to target further development of new genomic techniques, supported by the CDU/CSU. However, the Federal minister for environment publicly opposed a revision of the current law, arguing that transparency and security should be paramount.

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FARM TO FORK STRATEGY: MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

After several months of delay compared to the original publication date, the Commission published its legislative proposal for a revision of the sustainable use of pesticides directive, in order to make the F2F target of reduction of these products legally binding, but having the member states to find ways of applying it. Despite some member states and producers’ organisations voiced their willingness to push the proposal back so to concentrate on the disruption of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict on the agri-food markets, Executive Vice President of the Commission Timmermans defended the proposal saying that it will foster sustainability and environmental protection, as well as long-term agricultural production.

EU Ministers had a last discussion under the FR presidency on on mirror clauses, supporting an analysis done by the Commission that concludes that this kind of measures can be compatible with WTO rules, and that, however, a case-by-case approach should be taken for single products.

Preparing for its six-month presidency of the Council of the EU, Czech representatives stated that the priorities of the farm to fork strategies should be put on hold, considering the conflict in Ukraine and its consequences on the food markets as the main catalyst of their actions.

On Strategic National Plans, the Organic sector complained to some member states that their plans do not foresee enough efforts to reach the targets set by the Green Deal, notably to have 25% of their agricultural land farmed with organic agricultural methods.

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FREE TRADE AGREEMENT WITH NEW ZEALAND – WHERE IS THE GAIN FOR THE EU?

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. Already today the EU can export to New Zealand free of customs duties. In agriculture only a few products face a low 5% tariff.

New Zealand is a large and competitive exporter of agriculture products, which account for 80% of the total exports of the country. In 2021 New Zealand exported 28 billion euros worth of dairy, eggs, meat, fruits and nuts, wine, and other agriculture products.

To the EU, New Zealand exports mostly agriculture products, whilst importing mostly industrial goods. The EU currently benefits from a positive trade balance with New Zealand.

Which will be EU’s gains with the FTA? It will hardly increase its exports, as New Zealand tariffs are either zero or very low. Only New Zealand can benefit, in the agriculture sector in particular, as EU’s tariffs are currently much higher.

The inevitable result of the FTA would be more New Zealand exports of dairy, meats, wine, fruits, and so on, and no further EU gains in the New Zealand market.

Not even in the industrial area should the EU expect significant trade advantages, as only a few products have a 10% tariff, most others are already duty free. And it should not be forgotten that New Zealand has FTAs with China, Hong-Kong, Singapore, Taiwan. Our agriculture sector will suffer for no good.

This FTA is thus not balanced in terms of gains and losses. It departs from a pragmatic approach to trade, and instead dwells entirely on an ideological approach that sees free trade as a good thing irrespective of its actual impacts.

LIVESTOCK IN THE EU – PERIODIC NEWS

The economic impact of the Russian-Ukrainian war continues to cause concern. The livestock sector is bearing the brunt of the general price increase, with energy costs and rising feed and fertiliser costs particularly affecting the sector.

World dairy prices have recently fallen. This decline follows high price levels, and is also partly due to disposal problems in China, linked to the Shanghai containment.

African swine fever continues to spread in Europe. With cases reported near the French border, British pork producers have called on the government to introduce import controls to limit the risk of introducing the disease.

The end of the second wave of avian flu marks the return of free-range eggs. This health crisis has generated considerable costs for professionals, due to production stops and the closure of export markets, but also for the governments which are compensating farmers for the animals slaughtered and the economic losses incurred. In response to these disease outbreaks, the Commission and the Member States are called upon to intensify their efforts to develop vaccination strategies for the prevention and control of HPAI.

According to a Commission report, CAP measures have improved animal welfare in some cases in some regions but have failed to bring about a significant change overall. The requirements defined at EU level under cross-compliance have primarily improved animal welfare in those regions and member states that only partially met the EU welfare directives.

Brussels is considering mirror clauses ‘on a case-by-case basis’. The Commission states that the European Union can “take autonomous action where necessary to address global environmental concerns or animal welfare issues”. These avenues remain controversial within the WTO (risks of retaliation, control mechanisms, tariff conditionalities, etc.). Nevertheless, the European Commission could adopt mirror measures in the meat sector (antibiotics, deforestation, animal welfare).

The France Carbon Agri Association (FCAA) wishes to expand its scope to include all sectors. Numerous methods are being developed within the Low Carbon Label (pig farming, poultry farming, small ruminants, arboriculture, viticulture, etc.) and should soon be able to be integrated into FCAA’s calls for projects.

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LIVESTOCK IN THE EU – PERIODIC NEWS

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 aids.

In the beef sector, a drop in meat production and a stagnation in milk production is expected. The pig sector is experiencing a delicate situation, with a drop in meat prices and the consequences of the international situation. In the poultry sector, the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza has led to the slaughter of 15 million animals in France, which encouraged the Commission to address the issue of vaccination.

Tensions on the feed market – particularly maize – are a reminder of the structural deficit between supply and demand in the EU. A drop in world production is also expected next year.

Europeans are therefore putting in place measures to allow the production of this food. In the short term, with stocks accumulating in Ukraine, the Commission is trying to find other ways than the inaccessible Black Sea ports to import Ukrainian grain.

On the link with the ecological transition, the Industrial Emissions Directive and the recent rule to take account of livestock farming considered as industrial are criticised for the apparent disconnection with reality that it demonstrates.Finally, other concerns relate to animal welfare, to a new European Citizens’ Initiative criticising the aid allocated to livestock farming and to the development of non-meat alternatives on the market (vegetable alternatives and cultivated meat).

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NEW GENOMIC TECHNIQUES: NGOS KEEP MEDIA ATTENTION HIGH

The scientific community has welcomed the results of more than 20 years of research that led to the completion of the sequencing of human genome. The discovery corrects thousands of structural errors in the previous reference genetic material.

In the EU, NGOs (notably in Germany and Austria) are keeping the media attention high on the matter of ‘de-regulation’ of GMOs restrictions, with the German secretary of state for agriculture taking clear position to defend the status quo. Belgium, on the other hand, shows more complacent position towards NGT by allowing three new gene edited maize varieties for field trial, while in the UK field experiments have been allowed for barley varieties.

Outside the EU, India allows for derogation of biosafety assessment of two gene edited crop varieties, and in the US a field experiment aiming at reducing the population of viruses-carriers mosquitoes through modified mosquitoes has shown positive results.

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NUTRITION & HEALTH POLICIES: EFSA APPROVES NUTRIENT-PROFILING FOR FUTURE FOP LABEL

EFSA has published its final scientific opinion on nutrient profiling, an opinion that will influence the dossier of the front-of-package labelling initiative that the Commission is supposed to advance during the third semester of 2022. Furthermore, the same EU agency approved for human consumption a ‘novel food’ consisting in new protein-rich supplement.

While a study on the prices of fruit and vegetables finds out that consumers buy 15% less of them because of its 40% increased price compared to their marginal cost, in Germany, the federal minister is considering lowering to zero the VAT on fruit and vegetable as a response to the increase in food prices and incentivize their consumption within the framework of an healthy diets. Meanwhile, the Commission has opened feedback on alcoholic beverages taxation.

Outside the EU, Barbados has doubled its sugar-tax levy on soft drinks, and in the UK, the government has to deal with a legal case where it has been cited in court by Kellogg’s accused of illegally applying the rules on the restriction of HFSS foods. New research finds links between allulose/edulcorates and increased risk of cancer.

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