Recent updates Archives - Agricultural and Rural Convention

Is the EU Positive about Reaching Carbon Negative? New ARC report shows more work needed

January 30, 2023 Mathieu Willard

Despite the recent news that 90% of leading carbon offsets don’t have a tangible impact on capturing carbon, the EU Commission is moving ahead in developing a carbon farming certification scheme in the EU. ARC2020’s Mathieu Willard presents the context for his forthcoming report, to be published on the 7th of February. […]

4 constats forts de la rencontre européenne « Nos campagnes en résilience »

January 30, 2023 Oliver Moore

Nos campagnes en résilience » à Plessé (44) a rassemblé des agriculteurs, des cuisiniers, des élus, des analystes, des militants ruraux, des bénévoles et d’autres personnes issues des mouvements locaux et européens d’agroécologie et de résilience rurale. Oliver Moore partage ses impressions de ce temps fort. […]

Brexit Bites – Farming in Britain after CAP

January 27, 2023 Marianne Landzettel

On 26 January, the future of post-Brexit agricultural policy in England became clearer with the government’s announcement of six new standards under its Sustainable Farming Incentive. While English farmers may cautiously welcome this long-awaited update, serious challenges remain for the sector in England, and across the United Kingdom. Marianne Landzettel reports. […]

Protest, Pesticides and the Parliament – European news round up

January 23, 2023 Ashley Parsons

Citizens voices are making noise in early 2023: Jan 21, in Berlin 10,000 turn up to march for a green, social agricultural future. And on Jan 19th, the EU Court of Justice announced the end of exceptions on the use of bee-killing neonicotinoids. Will the momentum spill over into the January 24th hearing at the EU Parliament? The Save Bees and Farmers citizens initiative will be presented and Members EU Commission Reps invited to exchange. […]

Oxford Real Farming Conference 2023 | Agroecology Movement Gathers for Hope and Action

January 22, 2023 Ursula Billington

Reflecting on the Oxford Real Farming Conference, which took place earlier this month, Ursula Billington traces common threads that emerged from the rich programme. […]

A-ction, R-esilience, C-ritical Mass – Hannes Lorenzen’s Letter to 2023

January 17, 2023 Hannes Lorenzen

President of ARC2020 Hannes Lorenzen’s New Year’s letter to set the scene for the year. We spell ARC2023 like this: Action on CAP – Rural resilience – and a Critical mass for system change […]

We Are Hiring! Call for ARC2020 Operations Manager

January 16, 2023 ARC

ARC is now looking for an operations manager to efficiently organise internal communication and administrative work for the successful implementation of the association’s strategies and work plans. […]

“Faster than NASA” – How a Community Broadband Outfit Turbo-Charged Northern England’s Countryside

January 10, 2023 Daniel Rad

In many ways the rural-urban divide has been exasperated by increasing digitalisation. One community in the north of England, however, shows what’s possible when people come together. Daniel Rád of Future Economic Rural Network (FERN) tells the story. […]

Oxford Real Farming Conference 2023 | Sixteen Must-See Sessions

January 4, 2023 Ursula Billington

It looks set to be another stimulating start to the year for real foodies and regenerative farmers as the Oxford Real Farming Conference, “the largest gathering of the agroecological movement on the planet”, returns from 4 – 6 January 2023. […]

SUR – Pesticide Regulation – Delayed by Additional Impact Assessment

December 20, 2022 Ashley Parsons

Pressure from the pesticide lobby and big-ag has successfully delayed the SUR, a regulation essential to reaching Farm to Fork pesticide reduction targets across the EU. On December 19th, at a meeting of the EU Energy Council, the formal request for an additional impact assessment was passed without any Member State blocking it. So what’s next? […]

COP out – all eyes on 19th Dec as Council aims to derail Pesticide Regulation (SUR)

December 16, 2022 ARC

As Ministers meet in Montreal to pontificate about biodiversity, back home in Europe they are working hard to keep nature-destroying pesticides flowing. The EU’s attempt at updating the pesticide regulation – the SUR – may be delayed by 6 months if Ministers get their way, making final passage more difficult. Scientists and civil society are now focused on the Council Meeting 19th December when the next delay of SUR may be copper-fastened. Ashley Parsons and Oliver Moore report. […]

SUR-ely not? Big Ag Backers Push to Derail Pesticide Regulation within Days

December 7, 2022 Ashley Parsons

Saturday Dec 10th will be a decisive day for the SUR pesticide legislation reform. A formal request for another impact assessment will be blocked or adopted further delaying the important legislation. Ashley Parsons reports. […]

Food Security at the Crossroads: an Exhausted Model or a Sustainable One?

December 6, 2022 ARC

What are the pressures on the agri-food system, what role does CAP and wider EU agri-food policy play, and how could things be different? Here, Spanish organisations outline their problems and solutions. Topics covered include many agri-food system imbalances such as fossil fuels, nutrition, ultra-processing/malnutrition, water, soil, waste, a lack of food sovereignty and spurious war prioritisations. The need for rebalancing and the potential of agroecology are proposed for a more sustainable agriculture. […]

We Are Hiring! Call for Rural Resilience Project Coordinator

December 2, 2022 ARC

ARC is now looking for a project coordinator to animate the Rural Resilience project (“Nos Campagnes en Résilience”) for the period 2023-2024. The project will be concentrated in France and at least one additional EU country. Apply by 15 January 2023! […]

SURe to find excuses – MEPs, Ministers & their PPPs (Persistent Pesticide Proposals)

November 29, 2022 Ashley Parsons

After last week’s clear challenge to the SUR pesticide reform, this week the guns are blazing between MEPs and Commissioners pushing the reform. And in a familiar pattern in EU law-making, many Ministers are backing the business-as-usual block. Will we be reporting on the SUR until there are no more puns to be made? It seems that’s just what many politicians, with thier persistent pesticide proposals, want to enSURe. Ashley Parsons and Oliver Moore report. […]