Latest from EU Member States Archives - Page 19 of 68 - Agricultural and Rural Convention

Pesticides under Pressure | EU Parliament and Progressive Places Putting Biodiversity First

March 20, 2019 Louise Kelleher

With insect Armageddon and biodiversity collapse making the headlines, pesticides are public enemy No. 1. Scientists are now naming and shaming pesticides as a key driver of biodiversity loss. Even the European Parliament has caught the bug. MEPs insist that the new CAP must do more to shrug off our dependency on agrochemicals. Meanwhile farmers are showing that – with the right supports – instead of scapegoats for biodiversity loss, they can be part of the solution. […]

Letter from the Farm | Spring Update from Greece’s Mazi Farm

March 13, 2019 Natasha Foote

The idea of support species stems from the observation that in nature, you always find a diversity of species growing together. You can observe different species working together to support and facilitate the growth of others and for the good of the whole system in many complex interactions. […]

New Farmer Organisation – Talamh Beo – Launches in Ireland

March 7, 2019 Oliver Moore

Talamh Beo, a new organisation in Ireland that “represents the interests and defends the livelihoods of people producing food, fuel and fibre using sustainable methods of production” has its first public meeting March 9th in the west of Ireland. So who are they and what do they want to do? […]

CAP | Poland: In a Triangle of Tension?

March 5, 2019 ARC

Hans Wetzels gets to grips with CAP and Poland, in particular how Polish farmers and Polish policy makers will adapt to likely changes, including a lower overall CAP budget. How the Nationalist party wins hearts and minds, Poland relates to EU subsidies and other EU countries, in particular France and Germany, and finally differences of opinion on organic farming’s productivity, feature in the final in this series. […]

Ireland’s New Organic Action Plan | Committed – to What?

February 21, 2019 Oliver Moore

Like most EU Member States, Ireland periodically develops an action plan for its organic sector. There, a team of stakeholders, drawn from the conventional and organic sectors, as well as representatives of the Irish state’s Department of Agriculture, have developed the Organic Action Plan for Ireland, 2019-2025. Ireland has among the very lowest number of organic farmers, and organic land area, in European organics. So what difference will this plan make? […]

MEPs Mean Business on Live Exports

February 20, 2019 Louise Kelleher

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. […]

CAP | Poland: What Options for Small and Organic Producers?

February 17, 2019 Hans Wetzels

As a major agricultural nation in the east, Poland has a significant interest in how CAP will unfold in the current reform process. We have commissioned journalist Hans Wetzels to get to grips with CAP and Poland. Here we introduce part four, which focuses on smaller producers and how they cope with (or without) CAP supports. […]

Czech Mate for Roundup?

February 14, 2019 Louise Kelleher

The use of glyphosate has been curtailed in the Czech Republic with a new ban on desiccating crops for human consumption that came into effect on January 1, 2019. Grains and rapeseed are the main food crops affected by the new regulations. But the Ministry of Agriculture has been accused of making a U-turn on a blanket ban on glyphosate previously announced in September 2018. How far will the Czech Republic go in calling time’s up on Roundup? […]

CAP | Poland: small farms, big farms & EU relations

February 10, 2019 Hans Wetzels

As a major agricultural nation in the east, Poland has a significant interest in how CAP will unfold in the current reform process. While not all regions or sectors are the same in this large country, there are some common considerations. Hans Wetzels to get to grips with CAP and Poland, in particular how Polish farmers and Polish policy makers will adapt to likely changes, including a lower overall CAP budget, greater environmental focus and the new delivery model. Part 3. […]

France to Use CAP for Agroecological Transition?

February 6, 2019 ARC

Back in December, the French government published a position paper on the proposed CAP reform. This document included some of the expected, cautious remarks but also took some unexpected turns – for one promoting an agroecological transition. We pick out the key takeaways here. […]

Letter from a Farm | A Stormy Winter in Italy

February 5, 2019 Chiara Garini

Winter and the fierce storms that came with it were a blow for our budding agroforestry farm in Italy. We hear from farmer Chiara Garini about how she dealt with the extreme weather events, how she plans to prepare for more such events in future and how she’s prepping for the year ahead. […]

CAP | Polish Budget Battles in Brussels

February 3, 2019 Hans Wetzels

As a major agricultural nation in the east, Poland has a significant interest in how CAP will unfold in the current reform process. While not all regions or sectors are the same in this large country, there are some common considerations. We have commissioned journalist Hans Wetzels to get to grips with CAP and Poland, Part 2. […]

Letter from a Farm | Growing Relationships in Romania

January 30, 2019 Brindusa Birhala

We are back on Brindusa’s farm in Romania as she reflects on what worked in 2018 and what she will work on in the coming year. Not to be underestimated: the importance of steady, reliable relationships to consumers keen for larger quantities. […]

France | Land Concentration – a Case For Regulation

January 23, 2019 ARC

All over Europe there is an issue with land concentration. The number of farms in France has halved over 25 years. Official figures underestimate the extent of land concentration in France. So what can be done about this? […]

UK | A Bumpy Ride for the New Agriculture Bill

January 23, 2019 Vicki Hird

In all likelihood, the UK will leave the European Union. In place of the CAP, it has drafted a new Agriculture Bill which is passing through parliament at the moment. What does this bill look like? What are the implications? What further amendments are needed? Vicki Hird talks us through the details. […]