Agri-industry Archives - Page 6 of 6 - Agricultural and Rural Convention

UK | Chapter 2 : Minimising Net GHG Emissions from Food Systems

April 14, 2019 Stuart Meikle

What role does – or can – farming and food play in mitigating climate change? Retaining and storing carbon in the soils should be an obvious climate-change mitigation, improving soil fertility through the natural processes of grazing, returning animal manures, and using legumes to fix atmospheric nitrogen has the indirect benefit of reducing the farmer’s reliance on artificial nitrogen fertilisers manufactured using fossil fuels. […]

Czech Mate for Roundup?

February 14, 2019 Louise Kelleher

The use of glyphosate has been curtailed in the Czech Republic with a new ban on desiccating crops for human consumption that came into effect on January 1, 2019. Grains and rapeseed are the main food crops affected by the new regulations. But the Ministry of Agriculture has been accused of making a U-turn on a blanket ban on glyphosate previously announced in September 2018. How far will the Czech Republic go in calling time’s up on Roundup? […]

Ukraine | Small-Scale Farms Will Persist and Develop in Parallel to large-Scale Industrial Agriculture

January 15, 2019 Natalia Mamonova

The dynamics of small and large scale farms in post-Soviet countries is fascinating. Natalia Mamonova unpacks some of the complexities and intracties in this interview. […]

Czech Republic | PM Babiš’ Chickens Coming Home to Roost?

December 3, 2018 Louise Kelleher

The Czech chicken industry is under the wing of a Godfather. The same man is also milking the domestic dairy sector and has the nation’s encased meats all sewn up. Or at least that was the case until he became Prime Minister. Now, with a confidential European Commission report concluding Andrej Babiš has a conflict of interest between his business and his political position, are his chickens coming home to roost? […]

EU | Provisional Agreement on Cadmium Limit of 60 Mg/Kg Agreed

November 20, 2018 Oliver Moore

After years of debates and wrangling, provisional agreement has been reached between European Parliament and Council to place limits on cadmium in fertilizers. The agreement places a 60 mg/kg limit on the toxin and carcinogen, to apply three years after entry into force of the new rules – most likely in 2022. […]

“Batting Away the Baddies” – Organic Food, Cancer, Herbicides and History

November 6, 2018 Oliver Moore

Cancer is an emotive topic, so when a team of French researchers say a higher frequency of organic food consumption was associated with a reduced risk of cancer people will inevitably take note – and try to take apart the study. Meanwhile, Roundup, a tool of conventional farming and land management is in the dock – and loosing – over it relationship with cancer. Oliver Moore reports, adding some broader and historical context. […]

AgtechTakeback | Digital Consolidation – Entrenching Agrichemical Companies & Industrial Ag?

September 26, 2018 ARC

Digital agriculture, broadly defined as the use of mass amounts of data to influence decision-making on farms, has incredible potential to make farms more economically and ecologically sustainable. However, it also poses risks to the privacy, profitability and independence of farmers. Jason Davidson is the Food and Agriculture Campaign Associate at Friends of the Earth (US). […]

European Court Rules Gene Editing to be Subject to GMO Regulation

July 25, 2018 Helene Schulze

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) passed a ruling deeming organisms acquired by gene editing are subject to the same regulations as other GMOs. […]

Emissions Impossible | Climate Impact of Big Meat and Dairy

July 20, 2018 Helene Schulze

A new report by IATP and GRAIN out this week highlights the devastating impact of the meat and dairy giants on the environment. If GHG emissions from this sector continue as predicted, the Paris Agreement goals are firmly out of reach. […]

Quietness & Adaptability – Ukrainian Peasants’ Responses to Land Grabbing & Agribusiness Expansion

July 11, 2018 Natalia Mamonova

Natalia Mamonova examines Ukrainian peasants’ responses to land grabs and agribusiness expansion. It discusses the post-Soviet context, forms of incorporation of the rural population in land deals, the lack of rural protests and mobilization, and the prospects for small-scale agriculture in the country. […]