Europe

EU Approval of NGTs Will Be a Vote in Favor of Sound Science

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 20:44:55 GMT

By Marco Pasti: Eraclea VE, Italy

The European Parliament has decided to give technology a chance—and that’s good news for farmers like me, as we struggle to grow food in a time of climate change.

Members voted last month to embrace the new science of plant breeding. They approved a measure that means many crops produced through New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) could be treated under the law similar to conventional plants.

This is a vote in favor of sound science—and possibly a major break from the mistakes of the past when Europeans treated crop innovation with skepticism and even fear.

The decision holds the potential to help me grow more food and better food. Yet it’s only a first step. Political leaders, regulators, and the broader public must continue to make sensible choices about NGTs.

On my farm near Venice, I grow a variety of crops: corn, soybeans, wheat, and more. Just now, as we prepare for the spring, we’re pruning our walnuts and wine grapes and preparing our seed beds for sugar beets.

We strive for efficiency and sustainability, especially as we adapt to a changing and unpredictable climate. Our goal every year is to grow as much as possible, so that we can make a living as farmers and consumers can enjoy safe, genuine, affordable, and abundant food.

Yet rules and regulations have limited our access to the best technologies. When Europe restricted GMOs a generation ago, it removed our ability to plant crops that would help us boost our yields even as they reduced our reliance on inputs such as herbicides and pesticides. We fell behind our fellow farmers in North and South America and elsewhere.

Our corn harvests, for example, have declined. For at least two decades, we’ve grown 10 to 30 percent less food each year than the latest crop technologies otherwise would have allowed. To make matters worse, the quality of our food has suffered because our crops are less able to fight disease. We’re getting lower prices for what we do produce.

It’s impossible to calculate the losses with precision, but Italian consumers have spent billions of Euros more for their food than was necessary. Italy used to be self-sufficient for corn, but last year we imported 7 million tons of it.

This is not just an Italian problem, of course. The refusal to accept safe technologies has hurt consumers and farmers across Europe.

Farmers in France, Germany, and the Netherlands recently have engaged in massive protests, as they block roads and drive tractors into city centers. Most of the news coverage has focused on their concerns about taxes and regulations, but it has missed the larger story: This is ultimately about poor competitiveness, with its roots in the EU’s rejection of modern, science-based agricultural technology.

The European Parliament now has offered us a lifeline. Its vote last month accepted the recommendation of scientists and regulators and the Commission’s approval, making a little but significant step to exit the almost total eclipse of modern genetic tools in the EU farm sector.

The potential acceptance of NGTs means that in the near future on my farm, I’ll have a better chance to grow crops that can withstand the stress of climate change, such as droughts, floods, and storms, as well as pressure from disease, weeds, and pests.

I’ll grow more food and better food, using some of the best science and technology in the world.

That’s my hope, but nothing is assured. Last month’s vote is only a single step in a long march. The Commission proposal now needs to be adopted by the Council of the member states that did not yet reach an agreement. The details of the final law will continue to be discussed—and NGTs have lots of enemies, including ideological groups such as Greenpeace. Their propaganda once turned Europe against GMOs, to the detriment of everyone. The good news today is that scientists have decided not to stay silent and have started campaigning in favor of NGT plants.

Too much of this debate in fact has focused on techniques used and how NGTs are made, rather than on how they will create crops with better characteristics. I think farmers would be in better shape, the environment would be in better shape, consumers would be in better shape, and the research programs that have been shut down because of the impossibility of doing necessary field trials and commercialization of the final product outcomes would be in better shape.

We don’t have unlimited time to improve production in a world with a growing population and facing climate change.

Farmers must speak up: The time has come to give technology a chance.

Marco Aurelio Pasti grows corn, soybeans, wheat, barley, sugar beets, potatoes, some wine grapes and walnuts. They also breed beef cattle and have a biogas plant for electricity production in the north-eastern part of Italy along the Adriatic coast. Marco is a member of the Global Farmer Network. This column originates at www.globalfarmernetwork.org

Why Farmers Are Protesting In Europe

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 21:08:22 GMT

Farmers are protesting across the European Union, saying they are facing rising costs and taxes, red tape, excessive environmental rules and competition from cheap food imports. Demonstrations have been taking place for weeks in countries including France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy and Greece.

While many issues are country-specific, others are Europe-wide. Here is a detailed look at the problems that have prompted the protest movement across the bloc and in individual countries.

IMPORTS

Demonstrations in eastern Europe have focused on what farmers say is unfair competition from large amounts of imports from Ukraine, for which the EU has waived quotas and duties since Russia’s invasion. Polish farmers have been blocking traffic at the border with Ukraine, which Kyiv says is affecting its defense capability and helping Russia’s aims. Meanwhile, Czech farmers have driven their tractors into downtown Prague, disrupting traffic outside the farm ministry.

The farmers resent the imports because they say they put pressure on European prices while not meeting environmental standards imposed on EU farmers. Renewed negotiations to conclude a trade deal between the EU and South American bloc Mercosur have also fanned discontent about unfair competition in sugar, grain and meat.

RULES AND BUREAUCRACY

Farmers take issue with excessive regulation, mainly at EU level. Centre stage are new EU subsidy rules, such as a requirement to leave 4% of farmland fallow, which means not using it for a period of time.

They also denounce bureaucracy, which French farmers say their government compounds by over-complicating implementation.

In Spain, farmers have complained of “suffocating bureaucracy” drawn up in Brussels that erodes the profitability of crops.

In Greece, farmers demand higher subsidies and faster compensation for crop damage and livestock lost in 2023 floods.

RISING DIESEL FUEL COSTS

In Germany and France, the EU’s biggest agricultural producers, farmers have railed against plans to end subsidies or tax breaks on agricultural diesel. Greek farmers want a tax on diesel to be reduced.

In Romania, protests in mid-January were mainly against the high cost of diesel.

In France, many producers say a government drive to bring down food inflation has left them unable to cover high costs for energy, fertilizer and transport.

WHAT ARE GOVERNMENTS DOING?

The European Commission late last month proposed to limit agricultural imports from Ukraine by introducing an “emergency brake” for the most sensitive products - poultry, eggs and sugar - but producers say the volume would still be too high. The Commission has also exempted EU farmers for 2024 from the requirement to keep some of their land fallow while still receiving EU farm support payments, but they would need to instead grow crops without applying pesticides.

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced measures including controls to insure imported foods do not have traces of pesticides banned in France or the EU, and talks to get farmers higher prices and loosen bureaucracy and regulation.

Paris and Berlin have both relented to the pressure and rowed back on plans to end subsidies or tax breaks on agricultural diesel. In Romania, the government has acted to increase diesel subsidies, address insurance rates and expedite subsidy payments.

In Portugal, the caretaker government has announced an emergency aid package worth 500 million euros, including 200 million euros to mitigate the impact of a long-running drought.

WHY FARMERS ARE PROTESTING, BY COUNTRY:

FRANCE

- EU red tape

- Diesel prices

- Need more support to shore up incomes

- Access to irrigation

- Criticism over animal welfare and use of pesticides

POLAND

- Cheap imports from Ukraine

- EU regulation

CZECH REPUBLIC

- Bureaucracy

- Cheap imports

- EU farm policy

SPAIN

- “Suffocating bureaucracy” drawn up in Brussels that they say erodes the profitability of crops

- Trade deals that they say open the door to cheap imports

PORTUGAL

- Insufficient state aid, subsidy cuts

- Red tape

ROMANIA

- Cost of diesel

- Insurance rates

- EU environmental regulations

- Cheap imports from Ukraine

BELGIUM

- EU requirement to leave 4% of land fallow

- Cheap imports

- Subsidies favoring larger farms

GREECE

- Demands for higher subsidies and faster compensation for crop damage and livestock lost in 2023 floods

- Diesel tax and surging electricity bills

- Falling state and EU subsidies

(Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide and Gus Trompiz; Editing by Crystal Chesters)

ADM to Expand Traceable Soybean Pilot Project

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 22:02:33 GMT

ADM has loaded and shipped its first vessels of verified, fully traceable soybeans from the U.S. to Europe.

The successful pilot project delivered 2.4 million bushels (64,000 metric tons) of fully traceable soybeans to European customers in 2023. The company shares it now intends to expand these capabilities to other key North American locations during the 2024 growing season in anticipation of the new EU deforestation regulations becoming effective at the end of the year.

“At ADM, our future and success depend on the farmers we work with and for, which is why we’re committed to helping support their businesses and their legacies by ensuring that global markets remain open to U.S. agricultural products,” said Matt Hopkins, ADM’s vice president, North America river and export. “This program, along with our comprehensive plan to achieve 100% deforestation-free supply chains by 2025, demonstrate the value of ADM’s irreplaceable global footprint and our investments in climate-smart and regenerative agriculture.”

ADM’s traceable soybean program is an outgrowth of its International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) certified bean program, and uses technology, such as FBN’s Gradable digital platform, as well as ADM’s origination and transportation capabilities to verify, trace and segregate participating beans from farms to their final destination.

“While there are still issues, including how full compliance will be defined, measured and enforced, to work through in advance of the EU’s deforestation regulations, we are confident in our ability to continue to deliver to customers in Europe,” said Jon Turney, ADM’s vice president, EMEA Crush. “We will continue to work with stakeholders - including farmers, government and industry - across our supply chains in the U.S. and other key regions in between now and the new regulations coming into effect on December 31.”

EU Seeks Revised GMO Rules to Loosen Curbs on Gene-Edited Crops

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 18:38:16 GMT

The European Commission proposed revising its rules on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on Wednesday to loosen some restrictions for plants resulting from newer gene-editing technology.

The EU executive said the move would give farmers more resilient crops and reduce the use of chemical pesticides and offer consumers food with higher nutritional value.

The Commission launched a review in 2021 after concluding that GMO legislation from 2001 was “not fit for purpose”. The EU’s top court had ruled in 2018 that genome-editing techniques should be governed by GMO rules.

On Wednesday the Commission proposed splitting new genomic technique (NGT) plants into two categories.

Those that could also occur naturally or by conventional breeding would be exempted from GMO legislation and labelling
requirements. All other NGT plants would be treated as GMOs, requiring risk assessments and authorization.

Plants will qualify for the first category if there are no more than 20 genetic modifications.

A faster track approval process would apply for the second category of plants if, for example, they are more tolerant to climate change or require less water or fertilizer.

Related Story: John Phipps: The New Technology Helping Cool the GMO Debate

The proposal needs approval from the European Parliament and EU governments and may be revised.

The most prominent example of the new technology is the CRISPR/Cas9 “genome scissors”, for which Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Bayer, the world’s second-largest seeds and pesticides maker, described the proposal as “ground-breaking”.

“Plant breeding normally takes more than a decade from the first positive research results to market entry. Gene editing allows us to cut five years out of this process,” said Bayer’s head of sustainability Matthias Berninger.

Biotech industry group EuropaBio urged an extension of the rules to cover micro-organisms.

Environmental groups say NGT plants need careful controls and the proposal risks making European farming dependent on large agribusiness companies.

Friends of the Earth campaigner Mute Schimpf said it was essential labelling requirements remain so that consumers could make informed choices. The need to label has effectively prevented sales of GM food items to EU consumers.

(Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; additional reporting by Ludwig Burger in Frankfurt; editing by Jason Neely and Alexander Smith)

Mission Nearly Complete: Ukraine's 1st Grain Shipment Clears Inspection

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 14:09:53 GMT

The first shipment of grain from Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February is one step closer to reaching its final destination of Lebanon. According to Reuters , the United Nations said the shipment of over 26,000 tons of corn was cleared to proceed on Wednesday.

The Razoni vessel can now proceed through the Bosphorus Strait, an internationally significant waterway located in northwestern Turkey. The ship was inspected by officials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN. Reuters reports a three-hour inspection conducted be a team confirmed the crew and cargo were authorized to proceed.

As reported by AgWeb earlier this week, the Razoni, which weighed anchor at the port of Odesa, was led by a government vessel through mines that had been laid by Ukrainian forces to forestall any attempt by Moscow to launch an amphibious assault on Odesa. It’s part of a grain deal brokered by Turkey to help address the world’s grain and food supply concerns.

A rescue ship followed and Russia’s Navy, which controls the Black Sea, granted safe passage. The Razoni was carrying 26,527 metric tons of corn, the United Nations said. The vessel had been stuck in port since Feb. 18, before the start of the war.

Related News: Russia Hits Southern Ukraine City, Killing Owner of One of the Country’s Largest Grain Exporting Companies

The shipment news came just a day after Ukraine confirmed Oleksiy Vadatursky, Ukraine grain tycoon, was killed in Russian shelling of Mykolaiv. He was killed with his wife in a “massive” Russian shelling of the southern city of Mykolaiv. They died when a missile hit their home overnight, local officials said.

Reports say there are 16 more ships waiting to leave Odesa in coming days. Ukraine’s agriculture minister, Mykola Solskyi, said last week that there was $10 billion worth of grain stored in Ukraine and that the incoming harvest would add a further $20 billion to that amount.

Zelenskiy Says Shipment is Fraction of Needed Exports

According to Reuters, Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskiy is still casting doubt on how much grain can actually be exported. He made the comments during a video to college students in Australia on Wednesday.

Reuters reports Zelenskiy says the first shipment is carrying a faction of the crop Kyiv should promote to salvage the hurting economy. He says Ukraine needs to export a minimal 10 million tonnes of grain to urgently assist deliver down its price range deficit which was operating at $5 billion a month.

“Only recently, because of the UN in partnership with Turkey, we had a primary ship with the supply of grain, nevertheless it’s nonetheless nothing. However we hope it’s an inclination that may proceed,” said Zelenskiy according to Reuters.

U.K.'s Thirst for Coffee Shows No Sign of Stopping as Cafes Grow

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 06:16:51 GMT

(Bloomberg) -- The U.K. led growth in branded coffee shops in Europe for a third straight year amid an expansion of chains from Starbucks Corp. to Costa Coffee Ltd.

The number of outlets in the U.K grew by 643 to 7,421 in 2017, according to market researcher Allegra Strategies Ltd. The country drove net outlet increases in Europe, followed by Turkey, Russia and Greece, the company said in a summary of its annual report.

Traditionally a nation of tea drinkers, the U.K. has been a leading market for branded coffee shops in Europe since Allegra’s data began in 2010. Still, 21 out of 25 countries in Europe saw expansion in their market this year, the researcher said.

“The UK is the most developed market and remains the model for the branded coffee shop industry,” Allegra said.

There were 22,714 coffee-shop outlets in Europe in October, up 6.4 percent in 2017. In percentage terms, Romania had the strongest growth, expanding 30 percent, with Poland the next fastest. In contrast, Spain, Bulgaria and Austria had the largest net contractions.

“Despite a sustained period of political uncertainty, consumer confidence is relatively stable and out-of-home coffee consumption is increasing,” Allegra said.

Costa is the largest chain in Europe, followed by Starbucks.

“Allegra anticipates the market growth to continue at a steady rate with key opportunities lying in countries where international chains are influencing the expansion of domestic brands,” the company said.

©2017 Bloomberg L.P.