Latest from Brussels

Pesticides, Food Systems, GM-nOs, GHGs… what to watch in Brussels and Strasbourg this week

EU plans to slash the use and risk of pesticides have fallen on the back of farmers’ protests, which have dominated both headlines and the political agenda in recent days. Meanwhile there are plenty of other discussions cooking in Brussels which could have far reaching consequences for the future direction of the sector. Natasha Foote brings you a run down of the latest from Strasbourg and what you should watch this week. […]

Latest from Brussels

2023 – A Brief Review Before the Break

Below is the editorial from our latest newsletter, released Thursday 21st December. Hello dear readers, As this year comes to a close, it’s hard to know what to think about life, the universe and everything. One thing is for sure, ‘the end of history’ –  that didn’t materialise. […]

Main stories

Genetically Modified Crops Aren’t a Solution to Climate Change, Despite What the Biotech Industry Says

The European Commission launched a proposal to deregulate a large number of plants manufactured using new genetic techniques. Biotech firms seem to have succeeded in convincing the European Commission that we need new genetically modified crops to tackle climate change. They argue that by enhancing crops’ resistance to drought or improving their ability to capture carbon, climate change may no longer seem such a daunting challenge. If this seems too good to be true, unfortunately, it is. […]

Main stories

Bugs from a Jug – Gene Edited Plants are Not the Only Things to Worry About

As many Europeans protest against new GMOs proposal by the European Commission another area of concern has emerged – soil microbes. It turns out that in the US, the agrochemical industry, without much fanfare, has already introduced commercial products containing new GMO microbes, with many more in the pipeline. So what are the concerns?  Marianne Landzettel reports on a new report form Friends of the Earth US.  […]

Latest from Brussels

Commission Releases Slew of Agri-Food Documents before Summer – here’s what you need to know.

School’s out for summer – and soon, the Brussels bubble will check out too. But not before a slew of new and updated regulations and legislations, impact assessments and more, all have their moment in the sun. Soil, seeds and NGTs, food waste, pesticides and of course the nature restoration law  – it’s all coming thick and fast in these heady days. Oliver Moore and Ashley Parsons guide you through the brimming lunchboxes of the Brussels bureaucrats in these final days before summer break. […]

Latest from Brussels

New Genetic Engineering – Small Cause, Big Effect

The European Commission is proposing that plants that have been genetically modified at up to 20 different sites of the genome should be “considered equivalent to conventional plants”. This would be the end of the precautionary principle and transparent genetic engineering legislation as we know it. Op-ed by Benny Haerlin. […]

Latest from key partners

Climate Crisis | EU Agriculture Needs Systemic Solutions, Not New GM Technology

As the debate around genetically-modified “super crops” heats up, tried-and-tested solutions to tackling the climate crisis are in danger of being left out in the cold. Any deregulation of new GMOs threatens to undermine diverse and self-determined approaches to seed and food production that enhance biodiversity and soil health, and strengthen the resilience of entire agro-ecosystems, argues Stefanie Hundsdorfer. […]