Photo by Suzanne Tucker on Unsplash Campaign group Compassion in World Farming is calling for improved animal welfare at EU level. It wants European lawmakers to ensure that such action is central to the new Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare’s role in the new mandate and not just to the job title, in the…
Agriculture
Animal Welfare Science Challenged by Lobbyists
New documents are said to shed light on a pushback from industry lobbyists against recent advancements in animal welfare science. Obtained through Freedom of Information Requests, the papers challenge the latest scientific opinions issued by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the EU’s food watchdog. Investigative journalist Thin Lei Win secured the documents as part…
Global Food Crisis
Photo by Raphael Rychetsky on Unsplash The Russian invasion of Ukraine has led to rising world prices and hunger. Russian aggression against Ukraine has jeopardised not only Ukrainian territory and its citizens but also global food security. According to the United Nations, around 828 million people suffer from malnutrition, and Russia’s actions are…
The Future of Agriculture
Photo by Erwan Hesry on Unsplash A major new report voices optimism about the future of the troubled agricultural sector in Europe. This is despite concerns voiced by farmers in the recent past that the industry attracted insufficient support at national and EU level. The report, by the 29 members of the EU’s…
Attacks by Agro-industry on Animal Welfare
Photo by Jinen Shah on Unsplash A campaign group says that MEPs “from centre-right and right-wing groups” have “consistently vote against measures to improve the welfare of farmed animals.” This is according to a new study of over 10,000 datapoints published on 13 October by Compassion in World Farming. The NGO slammed this “as a coordinated attack by political leaders…
Is Animal Welfare Still an EU Priority?
Photo by Jinen Shah on Unsplash The EU is reportedly considering dropping its plans for stricter animal welfare measures, according to Compassion in World Farming EU. The group, based in Brussels, quotes press reports which say draft laws on the issue may now be scrapped. Compassion in World Farming EU said that two years ago, the European…
Uzbekistan Signs Agreements worth US$1.88 bn at Agri-Food Investment Forum
Photo by Ildar Garifulin on Unsplash A new agreement defining the main priorities of international cooperation on food security was announced during the International Conference on Food Security (Thursday 7 – Friday 8 September). The government of Uzbekistan hosted the conference, with technical assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)….
Inaction by Coffee Companies Threatens the Global Supply of Coffee
Photo by Delightin Dee on Unsplash Despite the passage of anti-deforestation laws by the EU, the clearing of forests is set to continue apace with coffee companies not prepared to comply with the regulation, reveals the 2023 Coffee Barometer, an in-depth report on the state of sustainability in the coffee sector. Roughly 130.000 hectares of…
Cutting Industrial Emissions
Photo by Jack Sloop on Unsplash The EPP Group says it wants to slash industrial emissions, but wants to “do it together with industry, farmers and SMEs, not against them.” This is the line the EPP Group has taken on the so-called Industry Emissions Directive. “We want less pollution, but more innovation. The new Industry Emissions Directive will…
Cotton and Corporate Responsibility
Photo by Marcus Santos on Unsplash When it comes to their use of cotton, the vast majority of international brands (89%) are “non-transparent, unsustainable and show little progress towards improving labour conditions,”, according to the 2023 Cotton Ranking, published by Solidaridad Europe and the Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK). This, it is further alleged, is despite a…