Main stories Archives - Page 10 of 120 - Agricultural and Rural Convention

Upland Farmers Face Harsh Realities in Post-Brexit England | Part 1

September 6, 2023 Marianne Landzettel

In July 2023, Marianne Landzettel travelled to Northumberland, England to meet and interview four farm families. The resulting story portrays the difficulties upland farmers face as they navigate compounding crises. The phasing out of EU direct payments and their replacement with a system based on ‘public money for public goods’, combine with high input costs, extreme weather events, and increased market competition to threaten farm futures. […]

Rural Resilience | Diary from the Ground – Summer 2023

September 1, 2023 Marie-Lise Breure-Montagne

In phase 2 of the Rural Resilience project we pledged to explore new territories. Over the summer, we set out in search of experiments in resilience in the four corners of France. Marie-Lise Breure-Montagne reports. […]

“A Fairer CAP”, Really? | Analysing Fairwashing in CAP Talks and Practices

August 28, 2023 Matteo Metta

Now that the CAP Strategic Plans are approved and running, is the CAP really fairer? Read our report «“A Fairer CAP”, Really?». […]

The True Toll of Pesticides on Rural Health – Pesticides Analysis Part 2

August 8, 2023 Marie-Lise Breure-Montagne

The human and financial cost of exposure to pesticides in rural areas remains largely hidden from the spotlight. In France, Marie-Lise Breure-Montagne, of the Rural Resilience project analyses the risks and cost – part 2 of 2. […]

Beyond the Harvest: Health Effects of Pesticides on French Farmers

July 26, 2023 Marie-Lise Breure-Montagne

The SUR still proposes at least another thirty years of coexistence with pesticides, as its objective is the phasing out pesticides by 2050. Can we afford to wait another three decades? No, say those who advocate for an 80% reduction by 2030 (rather than 50%).
This article is based on accumulated knowledge of the impact of pesticides on health, distinguishing two types of exposed populations: farmers and other professional pesticide users (Part 1). […]

Seed Marketing Proposal Unveiled – First Key Takeaways

July 17, 2023 Mathieu Willard

The new proposal for Seed Marketing in the EU was presented by the Commission on July 5th. In 2013, a first attempt to revise this intricate legislation did not succeed in gaining parliamentary approval. So, what does the new proposal entail? And can we expect a different outcome this time around? […]

Ernährungsrat: The democratic potential of Food Policy Councils in Germany

July 13, 2023 Marie-Lise Breure-Montagne

Part 2 in democratising local food policy: we look to Germany and the democratic potential of Food Policy Councils. […]

From Shrinking to Resilience – Lessons Learned at the Latvian Rural Parliament

July 12, 2023 ARC

In this collaborative article, Mathieu Willard of ARC2020 and Elena Ambühl of Agroecology Europe reflect on lessons from the 6th Latvian Rural Parliament, which took place in Ērgļi in June 2023. Ērgļi, like many other rural areas, has faced a decline in population and subsequent loss of infrastructure and services. How should we tackle this issue? […]

European Parliament Adopts a Weakened Nature Restoration Law – next step Trilogue

July 12, 2023 Oliver Moore

The Nature Restoration Law (NRL) has survived the European Parliament’s Plenary vote today, Though the Parliament adopted a significantly weaker NRL, the Council’s position is more environmental ambitious – and the Council tends to have the upper hand in these negotiations. This augers well for the NRL coming into force. […]

Commission Releases Slew of Agri-Food Documents before Summer – here’s what you need to know.

July 10, 2023 Oliver Moore

School’s out for summer – and soon, the Brussels bubble will check out too. But not before a slew of new and updated regulations and legislations, impact assessments and more, all have their moment in the sun. Soil, seeds and NGTs, food waste, pesticides and of course the nature restoration law – it’s all coming thick and fast in these heady days. Oliver Moore and Ashley Parsons guide you through the brimming lunchboxes of the Brussels bureaucrats in these final days before summer break. […]

Adapting Agricultural Practices to Climate Change – Seeds, Beans and Lessons from the Ground Up

July 10, 2023 ARC

On July 5th 2023, the European Commission tabled its proposal for revised seed marketing legislation. Exploring institutional shortcomings to prioritise and safeguard agrobiodiversity in a changing climate, Seeds4All project co-ordinator Adèle Pautrat and policy analyst Mathieu Willard zoom into the case of white bean production in southern France, before presenting broader issues that the future seed law should address. […]

New Genetic Engineering – Small Cause, Big Effect

July 7, 2023 Benedikt Haerlin

The European Commission is proposing that plants that have been genetically modified at up to 20 different sites of the genome should be “considered equivalent to conventional plants”. This would be the end of the precautionary principle and transparent genetic engineering legislation as we know it. Op-ed by Benny Haerlin. […]

Feeding Ourselves 2023 – Building Bridges for Rural Resilience

July 7, 2023 Alison Brogan

ARC2020’s Rural Resilience project explores the possibilities for Europe’s territories to become more resilient from the ground up, so we were keen to visit Ireland in March 2023 to support the Feeding Ourselves gathering in Cloughjordan Ecovillage. Alison Brogan shares the rich learnings for rural infrastructure gleaned from this weekend in the Irish midlands. […]

EU Seed Law Reform and New Genetic Engineering – Double Attack on our Seeds

July 5, 2023 ARC

July 5 2023, ARCHE NOAH today released a statement in response to the EU Commission’s proposals for revised seed marketing legislation and the deregulation of “new genomic techniques”. Seeds4All
supports the statement, which raises the alarm about the threat these proposals present to the future of genetic diversity in Europe and calls on agriculture ministers and MEPs to protect farmers, consumers and biodiversity. […]

France | Democratising Food Policy – Tweaking The Financial Toolbox

July 5, 2023 Marie-Lise Breure-Montagne

How can a top-down tool such as France’s Territorial Food Programmes help to democratise local food policy? How does the French infrastructure compare to Germany’s Food Policy Councils? In the best case scenario, communities take food into their own hands. Part 1 of a policy analysis by the Rural Resilience project. […]