The real goal of the United States and European Union’s so-called “mini-deal” on trade is unambiguous and goes to the heart of Europe’s way of life and approach to the rule of law. U.S. trade negotiators, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and American farm interests have all been crystal clear: the precautionary principle must go, and now is the time to finally axe it. […]
According to internal documents Canadian diplomats have used secret CETA-committees to weaken European regulation on glyphosate. Hans Wetzels reports. […]
To compete in the domestic and international market, British farmers and food processors must target the quality-differentiated, food-market segments. The multi-characteristic and multi-functional qualities of products must be effectively communicated to the consumer in an all-inclusive and transparent fashion. […]
On Wednesday the 10th of July an estimated 2,500 farmers took to the streets of Dublin to protest against the proposed Mercosur deal. The protest was organised by Beef Plan, a voluntary not for profit organisation set up in October 2018 by a small group of farmers from Meath (in Ireland’s centre-east). Since then, its membership has grown to over 20,000. So who are they and what do they want? […]
Several organisation representing farmers and environmentalists came together in Brussels to protest against the Mercosur trade deal yesterday. Responding to a call from the Belgian farmers group FUGEA, farmers and activists gathered outside the European Commission to protest against the threat posed by Mercosur to farmer incomes, the environment, and the rights of indigenous peoples in South America. […]
Behind closed doors the European Commission is negotiating about a massive trade deal with the South American block Mercosur. Talks continue despite increasing concerns for farmers and the environment. Are farming interests and consumer standards being sacrificed for the benefit of the motor industry? Part two of a two-part article with Hans Wetzels. […]
Behind closed doors the European Commission is negotiating about a massive trade-deal with the South-American block Mercosur. Talks continue despite increasing concerns for farmers and the environment. Part one of a two parter with Hans Wetzels. […]
The US ambassador to the UK has called American farming “the future of agriculture” to encourage the opening of European markets to US products. But what does this food system actually look like? What are its implications on public health, the environment and rural communities? Our partners at IATP report from the states. […]
The European Parliament last week called on member states to step up enforcement of existing rules on protecting livestock during transport. MEPs are urging member states to ramp up spot checks, use tracking technology to monitor compliance, and apply tougher penalties for offenders. Transport times should be cut, but the preference is to phase out live exports altogether in favour of local slaughtering. And when animals are transported to non-EU countries, EU standards should be applied. […]
The position of farmers and other suppliers in the agri-food chain received a boost on Monday, when the Agriculture Committee in the European Parliament approved new draft rules against unfair trading practices (UTPs). The text was approved in by 38 votes in favour to four votes against, with two abstentions. […]
How will border and mobility restrictions as well as the drafting of new trade deals under the current Brexit plan impact UK food and farming? In this final entry, Sharon Treat explores the potential risks of the Brexit deal. […]
What are the implications of the new Brexit plan on UK and EU food and farming? In this second part, Sharon Treat from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) talks us through inadequate environmental and animal welfare protection as well as weakened biotechnology regulations. […]
What Brexit will mean for the future of UK and EU food and farming has been the topic of much debate and much uncertainty in the past few months. As the Brexit withdrawal plan is becoming more concrete, so too are the potential opportunities and concerns for the food system. Sharon Treat from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) talks us through five key risks. […]
What’s going on with the new EU and US trade plans? Will it be TTIP on steroids? Is it to be zero tariffs, a bonfire of the regulations, or is it all much ado about nothing? […]
Samuel Féret gives us his analysis of the new European agricultural policy promoted by Emmanuel Macron. Despite France being the CAP’s leading recipient of financial support, at 12 billion a year on average, President Macron is willing to break taboos and change the narrative about France in the EU. […]
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