Attacks by Agro-industry on Animal Welfare

Photo by Jinen Shah on Unsplash

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?

Jinen shah

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

Ildar Garifulin

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

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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

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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…

Promoting Farm to Fork

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Photo by Jonathan Kemper on Unsplash More than 100 environmental, scientific and social organisations have called for an end to “EU derogations that water down CAP environmental measures.” The demand is also backed by EU farmers, trade unions and church groups. They also urge Brussels to keep the EU’s “Farm-to-Fork ambitions of the Green Deal alive.” A broad…

Commission Approves Polish State Aid

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Photo by David Becker on Unsplash The European Commission has approved an amendment to an existing Polish scheme, including an overall €266 million budget increase, to support agricultural producers in the wake of Russia’s conflict with Ukraine. The amendments were approved under the State aid temporary crisis framework. These were first adopted by the Commission on 9 March to support measures in sectors which are…

End the Cage Age

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Photo by Slavcho Malezanov on Unsplash Campaigners say the EU ban on caged farming is still on track despite what has been dubbed the “organised political attack”   on the European Green Deal. Compassion in World Farming has now called on the European Commission to “continue to resist pressure by vested interests and swiftly adopt an ambitious draft…

Protection from Plant Pests

Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on Unsplash

Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on Unsplash  A new initiative has been launched to help promote protection from “plant pests.” EFSA, the European Commission (EC) and their partners in Member States of the European Union are launching the #PlantHealth4Life campaign. Among other things,the campaign promotes awareness of plant health and its link with our everyday life. Plants are…