Generations have different perceptions of time. While the elder generation looks back at their achievements, failures and lessons learnt, the younger generation projects their ambitions into the future and tries to grasp the unknown. Understanding each other’s needs and qualities is therefore often lost in non-communication, but it’s needed more than ever. […]
“We can’t eat promises!” – The slogan of the Good Food Good Farming protest for a better food system, which took place in Brussels on November 8, 2023. The protest was the culmination of the Good Food Good Farming October Action Days, and highlighted the urgent need for transformative agri-food policies to realise key aspects of the EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy. […]
Photo essay reporting back from the Marburg Rural Action Gathering in November. While the eagerly awaited Marburg Action Plan for Future-proof Food Systems is in the works, here’s a glimpse into the achievements made during this dynamic event. […]
Why do nearly 50% of our calories come from the same three crops: wheat, rice, and maize? Underutilised crops (UCs) boast a long history of cultivation in many parts of the world and hold great nutritional and environmental promise for the future of our food systems. What role for policy and a value chain approach which considers access to seeds, the ecological aspects of agricultural production, the power positions of stakeholders, the nutritional value of food, and food security and sovereignty? […]
The Nature Restoration Law (NRL) took a massive step forward in the evening of the 9th November, with the conclusion of inter-institutional negotiations. The adopted position, which still has some hurdles to surmount, is certainly less ambitious than the Commission’s initial proposal. While all ecosystems are in, the NRL largely adopts the Council’s flexible position, while some weaking of targets accommodates the Parliament’s position. Oliver Moore has an initial report. […]
Are subsidies provided to farmers in the EU generating deforestation in Brazil? Or the decline of pastoral communities in Sahel? In this article, we shed light on the CAP’s implications beyond the EU, focusing on its influence on the global trade of soya and milk products and examining its implications for local populations. […]
ARC is proud to be part of the European Action Gathering for Sustainable Food Systems, to be held in Marburg, Germany in early November. This is because, while there is a somewhat stagnant process at EU and member state levels, throughout Europe there is action on the ground, with communities coming together to improve access to healthy, affordable and ecologically produced food. Find out more about our Marburg gathering. […]
Every October, farmers, consumers, activists and citizens come together to celebrate food and farming – and demand political change! For the sixth year in a row, the European Days of Action are happening. Wiebke Beushausen and Mia Mancini from Good Food Good Farming tell us about the actions and some of the activities upcoming – and how to register yours! […]
Did the Commission breach its own laws by approving the French CAP Strategic Plan? According to Collectif Nourrir and ClientEarth, it did! After their internal request for an internal review of the approval of the plan fell short, the two organisations decided to take it to the next level, and bring the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union. So what are their arguments? And what results can be expected of the process? Let’s assess […]
In this collaborative article, Mathieu Willard of ARC2020 and Elena Ambühl of Agroecology Europe reflect on lessons from the 6th Latvian Rural Parliament, which took place in Ērgļi in June 2023. Ērgļi, like many other rural areas, has faced a decline in population and subsequent loss of infrastructure and services. How should we tackle this issue? […]
On July 5th 2023, the European Commission tabled its proposal for revised seed marketing legislation. Exploring institutional shortcomings to prioritise and safeguard agrobiodiversity in a changing climate, Seeds4All project co-ordinator Adèle Pautrat and policy analyst Mathieu Willard zoom into the case of white bean production in southern France, before presenting broader issues that the future seed law should address. […]
In the first few months of the year, the Rural Resilience project has been busy attending events to maintain ties with existing partners and grow new connections, around issues making sense on both sides of the Rhine. Through the lens of multi-tiered rural policies, we are working with actors in territories across Europe to bring forward reality-based proposals, rooted in actions that are already underway on the ground. Here’s a quick overview of where we’ve been and who we’ve met. […]
July 5 2023, ARCHE NOAH today released a statement in response to the EU Commission’s proposals for revised seed marketing legislation and the deregulation of “new genomic techniques”. Seeds4All
supports the statement, which raises the alarm about the threat these proposals present to the future of genetic diversity in Europe and calls on agriculture ministers and MEPs to protect farmers, consumers and biodiversity. […]
Today, the European Parliament’s Committee on Environment, Public Health, and Food Safety (ENVI) finished voting on amendments to the Nature Restoration Law. No majority was found for the law as amended, as the vote was once again split 44-44. So what happened and what’s next? […]
As the European Commission is expected to publish a proposal for a Sustainable Food Systems Law in the autumn, Good Food Good Farming launched Food for Talk: days of dialogue that highlight the voices of farmers, fishers, activists and citizens. In a participatory video, the movement now calls for #GoodFood4EU through an ambitious law proposal. Report by Good Food Good Farming. […]
Agricultural and Rural Convention