February 2023 - Agricultural and Rural Convention

« La PAC est une aberration en regard de l’impact climatique et environnemental de l’agriculture »

February 27, 2023 Hannes Lorenzen

Samedi le 25 février, le Salon de l’Agriculture démarre à Paris. Au-dessous un maquillage de paysannerie idéalisée, aucun signe de changement chez l’industrie agro-alimentaire. Tout comme pour la nouvelle PAC, qui maintient les pratiques agricoles non durables tout en affaiblissant la cohésion européenne. « L’agriculture du carbone », avancée comme voie vertueuse, ne changera rien sur le fond. C’est trop peu, trop tard, insiste Hannes Lorenzen, président de l’association ARC2020, lors d’une tribune pour Le Monde. […]

“CAP is an Aberration in terms of Climate & Environmental Impact of Ag”

February 27, 2023 Hannes Lorenzen

This weekend the Salon de l’Agriculture kicked off in Paris. Beyond the romanticised picture of farming presented at big agri-food fairs like this, the food and farming system shows no sign of change. So it is with the new CAP, which locks in unsustainable agricultural practices while eroding European cohesion. Carbon farming, offered as a solution, will change nothing in substance. Plus ça change, argues ARC2020 President Hannes Lorenzen in an Op-Ed for Le Monde. […]

German CAP Strategic Plan: Bold Changes Required

February 27, 2023 Mathieu Willard

The new funding period of the Common Agricultural Policy has begun. The EU member states, including Germany, have all developed National Strategic Plans to implement the new EU requirements. However, as the following article shows, this reform and its national implementation are not sufficient to achieve environmental, climate, animal wellfare and social objectives. […]

Regional Carbon Farming? An Italian Example

February 23, 2023 Mathieu Willard

Can local or regional carbon farming programs provide a place-based alternative to a EU-wide, standardised, CAP ressembling carbon farming protocol? A look into the Rete Rurale Nazionale in Italy, and how private agencies in France are responding to the public sector request for carbon farming. […]

Post-Brexit Farm Policy – Where Do England’s Smallholdings and Horticulture Sector Stand?

February 22, 2023 Ursula Billington

In the UK, farm policy is a devolved responsibility, so the governments of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are each working at their own pace and to their own vision of post-Brexit agricultural reform. In this article, the first of a two-part series, Ursula Billington presents the state of play in England, the nation so far taking the most novel approach. […]

Seed Marketing Reform – Commission hints at Faustian Hybrid

February 15, 2023 Mathieu Willard

In preparation of the Commission’s expected proposal for a new seed marketing legislation on June 7th, MEP Sarah Wiener and MEP Martin Häusling called a conference to discuss what is a just transition to agroecology. The conference, moderated by ARC2020 President Hannes Lorenzen, brought together farmers, MEPs, NGO members and Commission representatives. New information about the next form of seed legislation, some secondary space for agroecology, and key GMO concerns emerged. […]

Pollinisation croisée des idées du Portugal : Nos Campagnes en Résilience à Plessé

February 14, 2023 Freixo do Meio Users Cooperative

“Certaines des expériences partagées lors de cette rencontre sont tellement intéressantes et innovantes qu’elles méritent d’être reproduites au Portugal.” Ana Fonseca, de la communauté agroécologique Montado do Freixo do Meio au Portugal a rejoint le groupe et partage ses impressions sur la philosophie et la production alimentaire de l’événement sur la résilience rurale. […]

Cross-Pollinating Resilience From Portugal: Nos Campagnes en Resilience in Plessé

February 14, 2023 Freixo do Meio Users Cooperative

“Some of the experiences that were shared during this meeting are so interesting and innovative that they deserve to be replicated in Portugal.” Ana Fonseca, from the agro-ecological community Montado do Freixo do Meio in Portugal joined the cohort and shares her impressions on the philosophy and food production of the Rural Resilience event. […]

Busy in Brussels: Carbon Farming, SUR reform and New GMOs

February 9, 2023 Ashley Parsons

In this week’s EU roundup, we’re covering the launch of a new report on the Commission’s carbon farming proposal, the EU Food Forum discussion on the SUR reform, and the 400k petition for regulating New Genomic Techniques. […]

New ARC Report | Carbon Farming – Stakes, Issues and Alternatives

February 7, 2023 Mathieu Willard

Encouraging farmers to implement practices that would contribute to mitigating global warming. That is the carbon farming promise. But can it live up to the hype? Will carbon farming be a greenwashing disaster or a real opportunity for farmers and climate change mitigation? […]

Meet the Movement Linking Civil Society with Philanthropy for Food System Transformation

February 2, 2023 ARC

In Berlin, on the eve of the Wir haben es satt! demonstration at which thousands marched for a socio-ecological agricultural future, two of ARC’s founders, Benny Haerlin and Hannes Lorenzen, sat down with Marinke van Riet to discuss her work as “chief weaver” of Healthy Food Healthy Planet. Healthy Food Healthy Planet is an intersectoral coordination effort that connects civil society actors with funders in the transition to healthy, just and sustainable food environments. […]

Czech CAP Strategic Plan – Redistributive Payments and the Counter-Productive Tension Between Small and Big

February 2, 2023 Terezie Daňková

The Czech CAP Stragic Plan has now been approved by the European Commission. Agricultural associations had been protesting against the proposed 23% share of direct payments. Terezie Daňková, a Czech farmer from South Bohemia, helps us understand the intricate history and structural composition of Czech farming. […]