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CAP and Climate: Buried Commission Report Mourns Missed Opportunities

July 26, 2019 Louise Kelleher

It took a freedom of information request to reveal the contents of the European Commission’s October 2018 study of the impact of the CAP on climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. It finally came out on the Monday after the European Parliament elections. What can it tell us about the Commission, CAP and climate? […]

Germany | Beats & Beans – A Festival for Transition

July 23, 2019 ARC

Young farmers and food activists are crucial in the transition away from industrial agriculture. Saskia Richartz from Wir Haben es Satt! has just returned from Beats & Bohne, a festival to gather these young people to dance, feast and plan the agricultural transition. […]

Organic Livestock Farming is for the Birds!

July 22, 2019 Oliver Moore

Organic livestock farming is the only CAP supported agri-environmental (AES) measure that has been shown to correlate with higher bird numbers. This finding comes from newly published research on birds in Finland. […]

Rural Dialogues | Smart Villages – Turning Momentum into Support for Local Action

July 15, 2019 ARC

The momentum behind Smart Villages continues to grow – both within EU and national policy circles and on the ground among rural communities. The challenge is to translate this momentum into a policy framework that provides fast and flexible tools which meet the needs and expectations of rural communities in different parts of Europe. This will mean avoiding complicated structures and plans, mobilising what exists in each place – and supporting local action rather than words. […]

Czech Republic | “No Forests, No Water, No Future” – Part II: Moving On from Monocultures

July 3, 2019 Louise Kelleher

Drought, insect infestations, biofuels and monocultures are impacting Czech agriculture and the ability of the soil to do its jobs, from water storage to erosion prevention. In part one of this series we exposed this troubled ecology of soil, forests and water. Next, we look at how history, politics and policy have shaped the lie of the land. With Louise Kelleher in Prague. […]

UK | Chapter 5: Enhancing Farm Animal Welfare

June 24, 2019 Stuart Meikle

Brexit is coming at a time when there is probably more consumer awareness of animal welfare than ever before. There should be no question of British animal-welfare standards changing with the UK leaving the EU. […]

Vertical Farming Shoots…Organic in the Foot?

June 21, 2019 Oliver Moore

The granting of organic certification to a vertical farming company in Singapore recently made headlines. How will different regions trade with different organic standards and supposed equivalence? And is soil the missing link? […]

Part 2: Where now for Por Otra PAC?

May 30, 2019 Marta Zygadlo

Yesterday, Marta Zygadlo introduced us to Spanish coalition Por Otra PAC. Today we take a look at the coalitions’ priorities and how it plans to push food sovereignty and agroecological transition in Spain. What would an EU agrifood system based on the principles of solidarity, equity and democracy look like? […]

Part I: Spanish Coalition “Por Otra PAC” is Born

May 29, 2019 Marta Zygadlo

Following the lead of French, German and Italian food and farming coalitions, this March saw the launch of Coalición Por Otra PAC, a chance for Spanish civil society to join forces to push for a truly sustainable CAP. Marta Zygadlo reports on who the coalition is and what they are trying to achieve. […]

Latest from Brussels

IEEP Manifesto Analysis Part V: European People’s Party (EPP) short-sighted on sustainability issues

May 24, 2019 Louise Kelleher

In the fifth part in this series, Louise Kelleher works through the IEEP manifestos of the key European political parliament in the run-up to the elections to see how they meet their sustainability commitments. On the cards today: the EPP aka European People’s Party. […]

Announcing the Agriculture Atlas

May 23, 2019 ARC

Last week saw the launch of the Agriculture Atlas, a collaboration between Heinrich Böll Foundation, Friends of the Earth Europe and BirdLife International on the state of play of EU farming policy. Including a contribution by ARC2020, this is a comprehensive, in-depth and timely resource. […]

Rural Dialogues | Transition Presents an Unprecedented Opportunity for Rural Revival

May 15, 2019 Eamon O' Hara

After ignoring the warnings of scientists for years, it seems society is finally starting to wake up to the fact that a deep transition to a low carbon society is necessary. What will this mean for rural areas and community initiatives? And what’s already happening in these places? Eamon O Hara of ECOLISE tells us more. […]

UK | Chapter 4: Providing Nutritionally Valuable Food

May 9, 2019 Stuart Meikle

Farming policy should be driven by the food and nutritional requirements of the nation. Post-Brexit policy will be developed at a time when there is rising controversy over what constitutes a healthy, well-balanced diet, including the linkages between nutritional, ethical and environmental issues. […]

IEEP Manifesto Analysis Part IV: European Left Leaves Us Hanging

May 3, 2019 Louise Kelleher

In the fourth part in this series, Louise Kelleher works through the IEEP manifestos of the key European political parliament in the run-up to the elections to see how they meet their sustainability commitments. On the cards today: the Party of the European Left. […]

IEEP Manifesto Analysis Part III: What’s the Deal with the Greens?

April 25, 2019 Louise Kelleher

In this third part, Louise Kelleher summarises the IEEP analysis of the manifesto of the European Green Party (EGP). How does it match up to their 2014 manifesto? How do their commitments score against the European Environment Agency’s red indicators and against their own Think 2030 report? […]