Recent updates Archives - Page 23 of 86 - Agricultural and Rural Convention

Damning Report on CAP Cash in Central and Eastern Europe Released

March 9, 2021 Hans van Scharen

There are “strong links between politics and the biggest beneficiaries of the subsidies” in five Central and East European member states of the EU. That’s according to a new in-depth study “Where does the money go”, which examines the implementation of the EU agriculture funds in Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania and the Czech Republic. The study, which was commissioned by the Greens/EFA political group in the European Parliament, sheds a stark light on how the CAP is not only funding degradation of biodiversity but also degrading democracy. Hans van Scharen reports. […]

Women Used To Dominate The Beer Industry – Until The Witch Accusations Started Pouring In

March 8, 2021 ARC

For much of history brewing beer was primarily women’s work. However, in the Early Modern period accusations of witchcraft were levelled against female brewers to make way for their male counterparts. Since then the beer industry remains dominated by men. As Laken Brooks sets out, it doesn’t have to stay that way. […]

Food Sovereignty, Romania and the Rising Far-Right

March 8, 2021 ARC

The many challenges faced by Eco Ruralis and the food sovereignty movement in Romania are now compounded by the presence of the far-right in parliament. A recent study by Anna Hajdu and Natalia Mamonova discusses obstacles and opportunities. […]

Letter From The Farm | Three Years In: Realism And Planning For Utopia

March 5, 2021 Chiara Garini

We are back on Chiara Garini’s forest farm at the foot of the Italian Alps. Three years in, her mushroom farm and forest garden is at a crossroads: should she expand or diversify? In any case Chiara is determined to bring utopia into her business plan, and tells us about an exciting new development on the farm… […]

CAP, European Green Deal and the Digital Transformation of Agriculture

February 28, 2021 Gianluca Brunori

The European Green Deal and CAP emphasise digitalisation for ecological transition and sustainable growth. However, as Gianluca Brunori argues, we need to understand digitalisation as a process of social transformation, which takes place both as an effect and as a driver of technological change. A careful analysis of needs, opportunities and threats, including at the local level, add the necessary nuance for appropriate digitalisation. […]

UK | Waking Up To The Power Of Mushrooms

February 25, 2021 Ursula Billington

Interest is mushrooming in the power of fungi to feed and heal people and the planet. On one urban farm in Bristol, England, mushrooms upcycled from wood chip are building topsoil as well as feeding the local eaters. Meanwhile another nearby mushroom growing initiative is giving wealthy landowners an incentive to preserve their woodland. Ursula Billington reports. […]

Walk Out – Environmental Pillar Rejects Irish State’s Agri Plan

February 25, 2021 Alison Brogan

Ireland’s Environmental Pillar – the country’s leading coalition of environmental NGOs – today withdrew from the Department of Agriculture’s Agri-Food Strategy Committee after concluding that the draft Strategy is “woefully inadequate to meet the social and environmental challenges we face.” […]

European Committee of the Regions Adopts Opinion on Agroecology

February 18, 2021 ARC

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) has adopted an opinion on agroecology suggesting a comprehensive set of measures to foster agroecology in the EU. The opinion highlights problems with European agriculture, including global warming, soil degradation, biodiversity destruction, as well as needs – protecting natural resources, reducing GHG emissions, fostering biodiversity and moving from extraction to circularity. […]

CAP Reform | Broad Coalition Demands Social Conditionality For A Fairer CAP

February 17, 2021 ARC

Social conditionality must be part of the next CAP reform, says an open letter to the co-legislators. Signed by a broad coalition of over 100 organisations, including ARC2020, the letter presents a united front for social justice to the trilogue negotiations. […]

Czech Republic | Three Cheers For Food Self-Sufficiency?

February 16, 2021 Terezie Daňková

The Czech Republic’s renewed appetite for protectionist food quotas is hard for the EU to swallow. But can quotas for domestic produce really yield results for food self-sufficiency? Comment from beef farmer Terezie Daňková. […]

Join Green Farming Now – All Day Web Event 17th February

February 12, 2021 ARC

With CAP activities hotting up – in trilogue and at member state level – our friends in Good Food Good Farming have, with Birdlife Europe, organised an agri-food policy event for 17th February. The need for transformation, the science and evidence behind why and how CAP isn’t working, along with some practical suggestions for how to communicate and mobilise around CAP issues form the core elements of this exciting all-day event. […]

German Environment Ministry Proposals For CAP Green Architecture

February 11, 2021 Hans Wetzels

Recommendations published by the German Ministry for the Environment echo fears that the CAP reform might not align with the environmental ambitions of the European Green Deal, and urge that regardless of the outcomes of the negotiations, Germany should use its Strategic Plan to gear the implementation of EU agriculture policy towards environmental needs. Hans Wetzels reports. […]

Precision Farming – or “The Emperor’s New Clothes”?

February 7, 2021 Andrea Beste

The European Commission recently identified precision farming as a possible agricultural practice that eco-schemes could support in the post-2022 Common Agricultural Policy. In this analysis Dr Andrea Beste examines the potential of precision farming to provide environmental services for climate and species protection. […]

Download New Report on CAP – Trilogues & Strategic Plans

February 5, 2021 ARC

“Integration between the CAP reform and the European Green Deal is poor or unrealised.” That’s according to a new policy analysis, written by ARC2020’s analyst Matteo Metta and Agricultural Economist Dr. Sebastian Lakner. Commissioned by MEP Martin Hausling (Greens/EFA) this timely report pours cold water over many of the claims for improved environmental performance in the emerging CAP, which is currently in trilogues. A number of CAP solutions are proposed. […]

OECD – Agri-Food Policy Coherence Needed

February 2, 2021 Hans Wetzels

Questioning unlimited growth in demand and emphasising the impact of societal pressures on productivity and yield, a new OECD report argues for more coherent and holistic farm and food policies. ‘As in other sectors, the economic interests pursued by food and beverage companies are not necessarily aligned with public interests’ the report states. Hans Wetzels has more. […]