The European Commission has announced a first of its kind strategy for the protection of European soils. The degradation of topsoils poses enormous threats to biodiversity, agriculture, human health and the climate. The European Commission has announced it will propose a Soil Health Law in 2023 to significantly improve the state of soils by 2050…
Agriculture
For Healthier More Sustainable Food In Europe
The European Commission must strongly resist any attempt by the US to use the newly created transatlantic collaboration platform on agriculture to undermine the implementation of a healthier and more sustainable European food system, Compassion in World Farming EU warned today. “Partnering with the US on agriculture to tackle sustainability and climate change is a…
COP26 Announcements on Forests and Climate
The European pulp and paper industry welcomes the two recent announcements on forests and climate made by global leaders, who are currently gathered at the COP26 in Glasgow. It already supports these commitments with concrete action, working hand in hand with the EU Commission’s services, and building on its track record for reforestation, sustainable forest…
Making Food Production in Europe Healthier
The Farm to Fork strategy is possibly the last call we have to make the whole food production system in Europe healthier – with less pesticides, antibiotics, and fertilizers; more sustainable; protecting biodiversity; more just; with decent remuneration for our farmers and decent working conditions in the food chain; and last but not least up…
The Impact of Agriculture on EU Water Policy
EU policies are unable to ensure farmers use water sustainably, according to a special report published today by the European Court of Auditors (ECA). The impact of agriculture on water resources is major and undeniable. But farmers benefit from too many exemptions from EU water policy that hinder efforts to ensure sound water use. In…
Fossil Fuel Subsidies for EU Fishing?
The EU fishing fleet receives a tax break of between €759 million and €1.5 billion from fuel tax subsidies each year, as well as producing nearly 7.3 million tons of CO2 just from burning fuel, according to a report by Our Fish. The report which estimates the fossil fuel tax subsidies received for the entire EU…
The Value and Culture of Good Healthy Food
Europe is well known across the world for developing, preserving and exporting the value and the culture of good and healthy food. European food is a benchmark at a global level for its safe, nutritious and high-quality standards. Socialist MEPs say that is “it is time for Europe to become a global reference for sustainability and…
Promoting Plant Rich Diets
Two powerful European Parliament committees have called on the European Commission to promote healthy plant-rich diets as part of a sustainable EU food strategy. The NGO Compassion in World Farming EU welcomes this call, as ambitious measures are needed in order to improve our food systems for the benefit of people, animals and the planet….
EP Approves Farm to Fork Strategy
The Agriculture and Environment committees of the European Parliament have voted to approve the report on the Farm to Fork Strategy, against the will of the ECR Group. Speaking after the vote, the ECR shadow rapporteurs, MEPs Mazaly Aguilar and Hermann Tertsch, said that the Farm to Fork Strategy “lacks the ambition to provide farmers with solutions and a clear vision…
“Meat Atlas” Exposes Damage Caused by Industrial Livestock Farming
Industrial animal farming is increasingly damaging the climate and biodiversity, according to the ‘Meat Atlas’ just released by Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung and Friends of the Earth Europe. The livestock industry is responsible for up to 21% of global greenhouse-gas emissions/ This figure is likely to escalate if the global meat and dairy consumption trends continue. The Meat Atlas…