Main stories
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EU lawmakers have been locked in intense negotiations for months on loosening rules on the use of new genetic technologies in plant breeding. But talks are stalling on one particularly sticky issue. So why have patents become so central in this story, and what would it mean for farmers and breeders if lawmakers get their way on permitting patents? Natasha Foote digs in. […] -
Here is episode 2! “The Land Grab Chronicles” moves from the aisles of a Hungarian supermarket into the hidden machinery of a political-economic system where land, food, and power are tightly intertwined. “Fields of Power” is a four-part podcast series is created by Ian M. Cook, Péter József Bori and Noémi Gonda. […] -
“Fields of Power” is a serial podcast that tells the story of how control over land in Hungary became a crucial terrain for consolidating Prime Minister Orbán’s regime’s authoritarian grip on power. At the heart of “Fields of Power” is a central question: how does land ownership shape democracy? Or even more urgently: how does the loss of land ownership by farmers help fuel the rise of illiberal, right-wing and authoritarian politics? Here is “Of Farms & Fortune”, the first in a four-part series created by Ian M. Cook, Péter József Bori and Noémi Gonda. […] -
While the impact of the EU’s new Soil Monitoring Law remains to be seen, in Europe’s territories local communities are working on the ground to protect the soil. Ladislav Luc reports from Serbia on a citizen science project that offers an intriguing entry point for farmers and young people to learn about the importance of soil health. […] -
The Seeds4All project has long been working to understand how the EU regulatory framework on seeds and cultivated biodiversity impacts the daily reality of agroecological seed and food operators. Europe is now at a decisive turning point. The rules that govern our seeds are being rewritten as we speak, with powerful forces seeking to tighten their grip on seed and food production. Efforts must be accelerated to amplify what the European agroecological seed movement is bringing to the future of our food, and how it should be urgently supported by both EU and local decision makers. With that purpose in mind, Seeds4All joined forces with SEED CARRIERS to produce the mini audio series WHAT SEEDS FOR TOMORROW? […] -
Without GMO-free seeds, a GMO-free agricultural and food industry is not possible. Yet there has been little discussion of the potential impact on GMO-free seed production of the European Commission’s planned deregulation of new genomic techniques (NGTs). Op-ed by Eva Gelinsky and Lena Hüttmann of IG Saatgut. […] -
550 voices, 28 countries, one demand: Food Justice. The European Days of Action, this year in its eighth edition, put a spotlight on the need to shift power away from corporations and towards people, so everyone can access healthy, affordable, culturally appropriate food, grown in ways that protect farmers, workers, and the planet. Photo story by Pauline Naterstad and Lina Hartwig of Good Food Good Farming. […]





