News

 

15/12/2021
Climate change

Sustainable Carbon Cycles: New EU Communication

On 15 December, the European Commission presented its Communication on ‘Sustainable Carbon Cycles’. On the one hand, the Communication addresses…
14/12/2021
GMOs

Commission event: Can New Genetic Engineering Techniques (NGETs) be sustainable?

The European Commission invited stakeholders, public officials, and politicians for a high-level event to discuss their plans to launch new…

Read our new leaflet on plant health care in organic farming

Have you ever heard of all the preventive plant protection measures implemented by organic farmers to produce food without using…

EU releases soil strategy & plans legal initiative in 2023

On 17 November, the European Commission published the EU Soil Strategy for 2030 together with a proposal for a regulation…
15/11/2021
Climate change

COP26: Outcomes relevant to food, land & agriculture

The UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) took place from 31 October to 12 November 2021 in Glasgow. Even though…

Mainstreaming organic plant breeding – celebrating 20 years of organic plant breeders

‘How to make organic plant breeding mainstream’ – was the guiding question of the 20th anniversary event of the organic…
27/10/2021
Climate change

COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland

From 31 October to 12 November, the UN’s climate change conference (UNFCCC COP26) will take place in Glasgow, Scotland in…

Welcome note October 2021 newsletter

Dear readers, Autumn has reached Europe, and unlike nature at this time of year, our work is not slowing down.…

Need inspiration communicating organic’s benefits? Members can check our updated arguments

In spring this year, we asked our membership to help us improve our database of organic’s benefits. Based on your…

The Farm to Fork Strategy: An ambition to safeguard

It is a busy time for stakeholders active on the Farm to Fork (F2F) Strategy. On 19 October, the European…
12/10/2021
GMOs

Participate in Commission Public Consultation to keep (new) GMOs regulated and to protect organic

As covered in the last edition of the newsletter, the Commission is considering a new legal proposal for so-called “New…

Over 1 million signatures demanding a restoration of biodiversity & support for farmers

Across Europe, more than 1 million citizens are calling for a reduction of 80% in the use of synthetic pesticides…
08/10/2021
Climate change

EU organic movement’s reply to public consultation on carbon farming initiative

The European Commission invited stakeholders to provide input to a roadmap for the Commission’s initiative aimed at developing sustainable carbon…
28/09/2021
GMOs

Public consultation for new legal proposal upcoming

On 29 April 2021, the European Commission published a study on the status of New Genomic Techniques under Union law…
22/09/2021
Biodiversity

Sign ‘save bees and farmers’ before 30 September!

In case you have not signed the European Citizens’ Initiative to ‘Save bees and farmers’ yet, you can still do…

Public consultation on carbon farming initiative roadmap & re-launch climate change task force

The European Commission has opened its public consultation on the roadmap for the initiative “Restoring sustainable carbon cycles” and feedback…
08/09/2021
GMOs

The debate about new GMOs in Europe: Our Policy Coordinator in conversation with Slow Food Europe

In their podcast series on European food and farming policies, Slow Food Europe brings together experts to discuss hot matters…
16/08/2021
Events Seeds

LIVESEED – Organic seed breeding at the Organic World Congress

The LIVESEED project, which IFOAM Organics Europe co-cordinates, is contributing to the Organic World Congress (OWC) with a colourful program.…
06/08/2021
Biodiversity

Only few days left to sign the European Citizens’ Initiative to save bees and farmers!

To those in our network who have not signed the European Citizens’ Initiative to ‘Save bees and farmers’ yet, you…

Boosting organic seed & breeding - Policy and stakeholder recommendations

As the LIVESEED project is coming to its end, it has released a synthesis of all its results and recommendations.…

How can EU policies consider organic farming’s benefits for biodiversity?

IFOAM Organics Europe recently published a new report highlighting the contribution of organic farming to protecting Europe’s biodiversity. By setting…

European Partnership on Safe and Sustainable Food Systems: Narrative and factsheet published

The final consolidated narrative of the future European Partnership on Safe and Sustainable Food Systems for People, Planet and Climate…
24/06/2021
Seeds

Commission opens public consultation on the review of the seed legislation

The Commission’s Directorate General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) is reviewing the Union’s options to update the existing…

Comics showing why industrial agriculture is broken

In May 2020, the EU released its Biodiversity and Farm to Fork strategies as part of the European Green Deal.…

Beekeepers and civil society concerned about pesticide risk assessment methodology

At the Agriculture and Fisheries (AGRIFISH) Council on 28-29 June, Member State representatives will vote on a crucial step for…

Getting food on the climate agenda - FoodSHIFT2030 webinar - 15 June 2021, online

Climate change policy debates fail to consider the interconnected nature of food systems and involve a wide range of actors.…

IPBES and IPCC call to prioritize solutions benefiting both biodiversity and climate

On 10 June 2021, scientist and leading experts from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and…
09/06/2021
GMOs

European retailers take a strong stand against deregulating new GMOs

On 26 May 2021, European retailers took a strong stand against deregulating new GMOs in a joint resolution. One of…

For a just transition to align the EU food system with the Green Deal - 26 May 2021, online

French and European food systems need to be transformed to address health, environmental and social challenges. However, the current policy…
22/05/2021
Biodiversity

Organic is Part of the Solution in Ensuring Biodiversity

This article was first published by IFOAM Organics International on their blog ‘Organic without boundaries‘. Each and every animal, microorganism…
19/05/2021
GMOs

New GMOs in Europe? Slow Food Europe podcast with our Policy Coordinator

Slow Food Europe just launched a podcast series dedicated to European food and farming policies, gathering experts to discuss hot…

Welcome note May 2021 newsletter

Dear readers, It is spring, a period I associate with birth and budding blossoms, the energetic execution of gardening plans…
05/05/2021
GMOs

Political hotspot May 2021 newsletter

On Thursday, 29 April, the Commission released their long-awaited in-house study on the ‘status of new genomic techniques under Union…
03/05/2021
Seeds

EU Commission presents options to review the common seed legislation

Following a request from Member States in 2019, the Commission has published a study on the options to update the…
29/04/2021
GMOs

Organic movement raises red flag on assumed benefits deregulating new genomic techniques

BRUSSELS, 29 APRIL 2021 – The organic food and farming movement criticises the Commission’s plan to work on a new…
20/04/2021
Biodiversity

Sign the European Citizens’ Initiative to save bees and farmers!

To all our members, newsletter subscribers & website visitors who have not signed the European Citizens’ Initiative to ‘Save bees…

Towards a new framework for EU soils?

Soil is a non-renewable resource key to all growing and living on it. Part of the EU Biodiversity strategy for…

LIVESEED webinar for Members of the European Parliament & their staff - 30 March, online

On 30 March, LIVESEED invited Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and their staff to present them the outcomes of…
30/03/2021
GMOs

Civil society, farmers and business organizations: Vice-President Timmermans, don't deregulate GM crops & animals

BRUSSELS, 30 MARCH 2021 – Today, a large coalition of 162 civil society, farmers and business organisations calls on Vice…

European Commission’s Soil Strategy

Healthy soils are essential to meet climate and biodiversity goals set by the European Green Deal. As part of the…

[Exclusive for members] Let's discuss organic hot topics

As a follow-up of the thematic sessions hosted during BIOFACH, we are bringing our members live sessions during which they…
23/03/2021
Seeds

Secondary legislation on ‘Organic Heterogenous Material’ finalized

The secondary legislation on Organic Heterogenous Material (OHM) is in the process of being finalized and soon to be published…

New router database connects Member States’ organic seed databases

A long-awaited solution for seed suppliers, European organic farmers, and national authorities arrived. The new router database will increase the…

EUCARPIA-LIVESEED Conference - Breeding and seed sector innovations for organic food systems - 8-10 March 2021, online

A conference organised by Latvian LIVESEED partner AREI to present recent scientific results in organic plant breeding took place on…
11/03/2021
Biodiversity

Help us save bees and farmers - sign the petition to transform Europe’s food and farming systems now!

Do you want to help save bees and farmers? Then add your signature to The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) before…
23/02/2021
Events GMOs

[Exclusive for members] GMOs and gene editing in agriculture: Event recordings available until 15 March

On 10 February 2021, more than 160 participants and 7 speakers joined the online event GMOs and gene editing in…
11/02/2021
Events GMOs

Organic and Conventional sectors discuss genome editing at IFOAM Organics Europe event - 10 February 2021, online

IFOAM Organics Europe invited food & farming stakeholders and policymakers to discuss GMOs and gene editing in agriculture. With the…
09/02/2021
Climate change

Read EIP-AGRI’s brochure on climate-smart agriculture and learn about solutions for resilient farming and forestry

Farming significantly contributes to climate change with agriculture being responsible for about 10% of greenhouse gas emissions in the European…
 
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