The German Government Gambled Against Farmers and Lost
In December, a convoy of 1,700 tractors blocked the main road to Berlin’s iconic Brandenburg Gate. Honking and chanting could be heard all over the city as farmers bashed the government’s plan to end tax breaks on fuel and agricultural vehicles in the 2024 budget. Under Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the government needs to make cuts […]
Le mauvais pari du gouvernement Allemand contre ses agriculteurs
A la suite d’importantes protestations, le gouvernement allemand a fait volte-face et a renoncé à augmenter les impôts des agriculteurs. Fin décembre, un convoi de 1 700 tracteurs a bloqué la route principale menant à l’emblématique porte de Brandebourg à Berlin. Des klaxons et des chants ont été entendus dans tout le centre-ville, les agriculteurs dénonçant le […]
Comment le « Green Deal » européen est mort
L’échec du « Green Deal » européen est un avertissement pour tous les décideurs politiques… Le Parlement européen a rejeté le projet de loi sur l’utilisation durable des pesticides, qui constituait la pierre angulaire du « Green Deal » européen et de la stratégie « Farm to Fork ». En 2020, l’Union européenne a prévu une réforme fondamentale du secteur agricole […]
How the Green New Deal Met Its Demise In Europe
In a stunning upset, the European Parliament voted down the “Sustainable Use of Pesticides” bill, which marked the cornerstone of the European Green Deal and the so-called “Farm to Fork” strategy. In 2020, the European Union planned a fundamental reform of the bloc’s agricultural sector, slashing pesticide use, cutting down fertilizer use, and boosting organic […]
Europe tried it green and failed
Nearly 300 votes against, only 207 in favor: Those were the final results of a vote in the European Parliament on the “Sustainable Use of Pesticides” directive, the landmark legislation of the European Union’sagriculture reforms. The plans would have cut back on pesticide and fertilizer use, as well as shifted a major part of Europe’s farmland use to […]
Navigating the Future: Insights from COP28 in Dubai
Exciting times are underway at COP28 in Dubai, where global leaders are converging to address pressing environmental concerns and chart a sustainable course for our planet. As discussions unfold, it’s crucial to delve into the key consumer concerns that will shape the future of our world. Join me as we explore the hot topics dominating […]
NY Bee Protection Bill Would Sting Farmers
Protecting the birds and the bees, that is the aim of a bill in the New York Legislature that passed in June. The bill would ban the use of neonicotinoid insecticides (known as neonics) — a move that is dear to the heart of anti-pesticide activists, but that would severely hurt farmers and consumers alike. The […]
Europe’s Agriculture Reform Is Failing
The European Union commissioner for the European Green Deal has left, a farmers’ party has taken control of the Dutch senate, French president Emmanuel Macron says regulatory changes shouldn’t be rushed, and the EU’s largest political group is openly opposing reform plans that had been years in the making. It is not looking good for […]
Why isn’t agriculture an issue in presidential debates?
In 2016 and 2020 , farmers overwhelmingly supported Donald Trump for president. The track record of his administration justifies the choice, as Trump appointed agency directors who reversed unnecessarily strict Obama-era regulations on chemical crop protection products that are essential for fighting pests and preserving yields. Now, with President Joe Biden nearing the end of his term and having gone back to much […]
Government: Hungary remains GMO-free
The Hungarian government is not planning to change its strategy of keeping the country’s agriculture free of GMOs, the agriculture ministry said on Thursday, noting that the European Union had started negotiations on the regulation of new genetic technologies (NGT). According to a draft published by the European Commission last week, produce created using NGT […]
Birds and Bees, Beware: New York’s Anti-Pesticide Bill Will Backfire
Through recently passed legislation, the New York state legislature aims to abolish certain insecticides in defense of the “birds and bees.” The chemicals in question, called neonicotinoids, are commonly used in crop production to shield crops from undesired insects — including aphids, which spread the beet yellows virus. Lawmakers have been convinced by environmental activist […]
The US is right to take aim at Europe’s protectionist food policies
As the World Trade Organization is meeting in Geneva this week, Biden administration officials have taken aim at Europe’s protectionist trade policies. The US Ambassador to the WTO, Maria Pagán, laid out ‘persistent barriers’ that American goods and services face to enter the European market. High on the agenda were EU food and wine standards, […]
