Agriculture & Food

It was entirely predictable that EU farm ministers would respond to the European Commission’s post 2013 CAP reform proposals by agreeing on a policy direction which would ensure that there can be no radical change in the Union’s €50+ billion a year common agricultural policy.

The most recent meetings of the European Union’s farm ministers have given a pretty clear indication that any changes which may take place in the common agricultural policy are unlikely to be more than cosmetic.

After the Forum for the Future of Agriculture which took place in Brussels on March 16 went ahead with great success, it is now taken abroad – again – as sub-events are being organised in Budapest, Moscow, and with an outlook to Marrakesh.
The events, held under the auspices of the FFA2010, have a strong regional focus, [...]

Within the different panel sessions of the Forum for the Future of Agriculture 2010, the audience was involved in the ongoing debate on the politics and economics of food vs. climate change. Live voting devices provided the possibility for the audience’s views to be integrated into the discussions.
We voted on the following questions with [...]

MEP Mairead McGuinness on the Provision of Environmental Public Goods by Farmers
Farm produced commodities fuel the food industry; provide jobs and feed EU consumers, in addition to providing unpaid for public goods in terms of the environment and animal welfare.
” Farming in Europe is about more than just growing and selling. Here, farmers play a [...]

The UK’s All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Agriculture and Food for Development has recently published a report “Why No Thought for Food?” criticising the Department for International Development for its underinvestment in agriculture.
The report addresses the link between food security and peace and prosperity, particularly with reference to the economically underdeveloped sub-Saharan Africa, [...]

Only nine months ago, food security was at the top of the global agenda. Rapidly rising food prices caused by increased demand and poor harvests exacerbated by the scarcity of water and land, and trade distortions propelled the topic of food security to the top of the political agenda. Meetings and summits were held, money [...]

Six years ago biofuels became “en vogue”. Europeans and, even more so, Americans considered them as a welcome complement to fossil fuels and an antedote to global warming. The EU fixed 5.75 percent for 2010 and 10 percent for 2020 as the share of biofuels in EU gasoline supply.These days are gone. Today biofuels have […]

Original post by rhein