trade Archives - Agricultural and Rural Convention

Op-Ed | Europe Eats the World

June 18, 2022 Jabier Ruiz

“Europe feeds the world” is a line often heard in EU policy debates and the media. A line often used to sideline calls to lower the impacts of European agriculture and to place “providing food” as the highest political priority. But is this line really true? In this op-ed lead author, Jabier Ruiz, of the WWF European Policy Office, summarises the main pieces of evidence gathered, which show that, far from feeding the world, Europe consumes more than its fair share. […]

Ukraine | Two Farmers near the Frontline

May 23, 2022 ARC

Paul Lemaire is a photojournalist who has recently left southern Ukraine. Here we present a photo essay from his time in the countryside around the city of Mykolaiv, near the Black Sea between Odesa and Kherson. At the end of April, Paul spent some time with farmers Vladimir and Ivan, as they’ve tried to carry with their work in rural Ukraine. Here we feature a first look at photos from his time there. […]

EU Institutions – Productivity Now, Environment Maybe Later

March 25, 2022 Oliver Moore

With war in Ukraine, the EU institutions made a concerted effort to shore up its highly exposed agri-industrial food system this week. Emergency money and ecologically protected lands are to be used for food security – as expressed through animal feed and mineral fertilizer supply. Along the way, delays and derailings to greener transition have occurred in pesticides regulation, in environmental elements of CAP, and more. So is the EU Green Deal becoming pie in the sky? Oliver Moore and Ashley Parsons report. […]

War in Ukraine and World Food – What options does the international community have?

March 14, 2022 ARC

Sebastian Lakner assesses the current, rapidly changing situation of agri-food trade and policies. How is the war impacting on agri-food supplies, and what are the responses at EU and national level? This opinion piece is an English language update of an earlier German post on the agricultural economist’s blog. […]

UK Post-Brexit Farm Schemes – Revolution, Evolution or Anti-climax?

February 15, 2022 James Woodward

What is the latest on the ‘revolutionary’ new farm schemes in the UK nations and how are farmers and other stakeholders reacting? James Woodward and Vicki Hird of Sustain take a look. […]

UK | Supply Chains No Longer Fit For Purpose

November 27, 2021 Vicki Hird

Farmers in England and Wales want to move away from centralised supply chains where they say they have little influence over prices, not enough connection to consumers, and are not rewarded for delivering positive climate and nature outcomes. This is according to the findings of Sustain in its report ‘Beyond the Farmgate’ which lays out the results of a new survey of 500 English and Welsh farmers. […]

Meat Atlas 2021 | Abattoirs – Chopping but not Changing

September 21, 2021 ARC

To mark the publication of the Meat Atlas 2021, we are republishing a selection of our favourite articles. In this one, Peter Birke brings attention to poor labour conditions in the global meat industry. The pandemic has put a spotlight on this issue, but it is by no means new. EU food trade unions call for a bloc-wide response. […]

Pesticide Drift – When Free Trade Dictates Thresholds

April 22, 2021 Isabella Lang

There are limits on the amounts of pesticides allowed in our food. Except, that is, where these limits get in the way of free trade. Isabella Lang calls out the EU’s anticipatory obedience to the WTO, double standards on pesticide exports, and the failure to assess the cumulative health risk of pesticides for humans. […]

EU Not Doing its Sustainability Homework on Mercosur

March 31, 2021 Hans Wetzels

An inquiry by European Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly has found that the European Commission should have concluded an updated sustainability impact assessment before signing the EU-Mercosur trade deal. But will this be enough to stop national parliaments from ratifying the deal? Hans Wetzels reports. […]

Women Used To Dominate The Beer Industry – Until The Witch Accusations Started Pouring In

March 8, 2021 ARC

For much of history brewing beer was primarily women’s work. However, in the Early Modern period accusations of witchcraft were levelled against female brewers to make way for their male counterparts. Since then the beer industry remains dominated by men. As Laken Brooks sets out, it doesn’t have to stay that way. […]

There’s Something About Dairy – CAP, Exports and Global Milk Markets

December 17, 2020 Hans Wetzels

It remains unclear how EU-member states with powerful dairy industries will take into account the interests of farming communities outside Europe. While the instruments of which the CAP is comprised focus on the primary production inside the EU, impacts are felt within countries, in Europe and further afield. […]

Implications of the CAP Beyond the EU: Ukraine

November 8, 2020 Hans Wetzels

Ukraine is a major agricultural exporter to the European Union. A progressive CAP could force Ukrainian agriculture towards more sustainability. But the current nationalization of the CAP might steer such environmental ambitions off course. […]

CAP Beyond the EU: The Case of Honduran Banana Supply Chains

October 29, 2020 Melina A Campos

This article examines some weaknesses of the Association Agreement between the European Union and Central America in the context of the EU Common Agricultural Policy reform post 2020. The specific focus is on the ‘Special Treatment on Bananas’ conceded to Honduras and its interlinkages with the Common Market Organisation (CMO). […]

Russia | Climate Crisis & Fields of Possibility

October 9, 2020 Alia Yakupova

Russia is at a crossroads: will it dominate global export markets, or deliver stability and climate solutions for rural areas? In the third and final installment in our Russia series, Alia Yakupova and Hannes Lorenzen explore the fields in which Russia is fighting the battle with the climate and biodiversity crises. […]

Russia | Where Is Agriculture Going?

October 7, 2020 Alia Yakupova

Part 2 of our Russia series aims to shed a light on the Russian agricultural industry and changes that lie ahead. Alia Yakupova and Hannes Lorenzen walk us through a brief history of Russia and the potential impact of recent developments on global agriculture and food. […]