ARC, Author at Agricultural and Rural Convention

Pressure mounts for opening of Organic Farming Scheme in Ireland

February 22, 2018 ARC

Our own Oliver Moore has been busy in Ireland talking and writing about about the (lack of an) Organic Farming Scheme in recent weeks. He was on the TV: with demand for #organics growing, why is demand way outstripping supply in Ireland and is it time to reopen our organic scheme #ettg @ellamcsweeney pic.twitter.com/uhFnAwo409 — Paula Williams (@paulawilliamss) February 22, 2018 You can watch the full show here (national restrictions may apply) And you can listen to him on the radio too on the Saturday morning show Countrywide. Last week he told us about the confusion the Irish Department of Agriculture has with regard to opening or not opening the Organic Farming Scheme. Schrödinger’s Cat and the State of the Irish Organic Farming Scheme While this week he covered the recent Biofach 2018 event – the world’s largest organic trade show for the Irish Farming Examiner. Below is what he wrote about what the Irish organic certification bodies – IOFGA and the Organic Trust – have to say about the lack of an Organic Farming […]

Heard (of) Farmerama? Amplifying the voice of the smaller farmer

February 21, 2018 ARC

A positive globe trot to the places where smaller farmers of an ecological mind are tending to their land. Farmerama takes you there. Have a listen. […]

#SoilMatters | Debate Opener

February 13, 2018 ARC

#SoilMatters – so how best to treat it? In this debate we welcome both big and broad takes on best approaches, as well as detailed analysis of specific agri-industrial inputs and their soil impacts. We will feature soil experts, farmers, stakeholders of varying styles and approaches in this #SoilMatters debate. We aim for a wide range of perspectives. Join in now! […]

Meet Senator Joel Labbé – Driving Force Behind French Herbicide Bans

January 28, 2018 ARC

Public places in France – schools, parks, forests, roadsides – are no longer treated with herbicides, while more restrictions are coming in in 2019. Senator Joel Labbé has been the driving force behind these restrictions. ARC2020 has worked with Labbé to help bring his work to the European stage. […]

Food is Political! 33,000 Are Fed Up With Agri-Industry!

January 20, 2018 ARC

33,000 citizens – including 160 tractor driving farmers – made their way through the winter streets of Berlin on Saturday to tell the world – food is political! #EssenIstPolitisch […]

Digital Revolution in Agriculture: Fitting for Agroecology?

January 15, 2018 ARC

There is lots of hype about digitisation in farming. There are important questions too, about ownership and power. What role for agroecology and the commons in this context? Vassilis Gkisakis and colleagues explored this topic at the Agroecology Europe forum in October. Here they outline their discussions. […]

EU | Fertilizers, Permanent Grasslands and EFAs – Brussels Briefing

January 8, 2018 ARC

From 1st January, a series of changes in the Common Agriculture Policy have been in effect. Agreed on 12th December, the so-called Omnibus was entered into the official EU record on 29th December. These changes are variously described as simplifications or improvements. But are they? […]

UK | The Yorkshire Dales – How Changing CAP legislation Impacts People and Place

January 7, 2018 ARC

The Yorkshire Dales is an upland area of Yorkshire, Northern England. Agriculture has been an integral part of the area’s culture and economy for thousands of years. A hill farm agricultural system is upheld here, with sheep as the primary livestock, although many have diversified into mixed beef systems, and dairy operations in the lower valleys. How has CAP – and its changes over time – impacted on this place and its people? […]

Seasons Greetings – And Join Us to Make 2018 a Good Food Good Farming Year!

December 20, 2017 ARC

Relax and reflect over the holiday season – and see here for lots of ways to get involved with us for 2018 – from soil to AgTech, conservation tillage to farm hack – there are lots of topis to sink your teeth into with ARC for 2018. […]

Martin Häusling’s 10 Point Plan to Overhaul the CAP

December 14, 2017 ARC

Continuing in our series of CAP commentary from as wide a range of sources as possible, below we present the CAP position statement of MEP Martin Häusling. In it, he points to the folly of following an export and growth model for agri-food. Moreover, this model as it stands delivers little by way of environmental goods, or for animal welfare or the rural economy. He also emphasises the specific benefits of organic farming, while giving us ten points for major CAP reform. […]

CAP Communication – reactions

December 5, 2017 ARC

Here we present a range of perspectives on the recent CAP Communication by Commissioner Phil Hogan. A range of farmer organisations, NGOs, experts and others are represented. […]

Hogan’s CAP Communication & ARC2020 Analysis

November 29, 2017 ARC

The new CAP Communication betrays a lack of ambition, a worrying move towards reliance on the financial sector, a lack of focus on rural areas or on some major issues. However, the results based initiative – which risking re-nationalisaiton to an extent – is at least novel and thought provoking. It potentially involves give and take by Member States with justifications accompanying subsidiarity. […]

Texting Cows, AGTech & the Future of Farming in Germany

November 26, 2017 ARC

Automation and digitisation are rising in farming and the broader agri-food sector. Germany – industrial powerhouse of Europe – seems an obvious place to embrace AGTech. From precision farming and data ownership to embodied energy and cost, what are the opportunities, the impacts and the implications? And how are agroecologists responding? […]

Omnibus Passes Ag Committee – Analysis

November 23, 2017 ARC

what amounts to a mini CAP reform has just passed a crucial stage towards becoming law. There is but a single plenary (all MEPs) vote in the Parliament left, most likely in December. So what was agreed and what does it mean?
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Why Did MEPs Reject 3 GM Crops Last Month?

November 21, 2017 ARC

One of a series of significant votes in the European Parliament on 24th October last involved the rejection of the authorisation of GM crops. So what reason did the MEPs give for reject these crops? […]