Join the Food Revolution Newsletter
Issue n°21 September 2016
GREEN INSIGHT INTO EU FOOD POLICY
- Glyphosate is back on the EP agenda: a clear message from citizens to stand against the use of the substance
- Good for business, bad for us, Round 2: Why Bayer buying Monsanto is more than just another merger
- Animal testing: The EU court agrees with animal advocates
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
- Olivier de Schutter: Politicians must learn from citizens' food experiences
- The Monsanto Tribunal: Because industrial agriculture is endangering farmers, citizens, the ecosystems and our future
- Sulfoxaflor and flupyradifurone: Neonicotinoids or not?
- Jan Slomp: Don’t let neoliberal ideology undermine farmers’ existence
JOIN THE FOOD REVOLUTION: THE STORY OF THE MONTH
- Every month food actors who joined the 'Join the Food Revolution' network share their story, showing the way to take back control over your plate –
WHAT'S ON THE PLATE?
- Upcoming Events
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GREEN INSIGHT INTO EU FOOD POLICY
Glyphosate is back on the EP agenda: a clear message from citizens to stand against the use of the substance
On Thursday 8th September, the Committee on Petitions of the European Parliament examined three petitions opposing the use of the systemic herbicide glyphosate. These petitions were submitted against the backdrop of the recent decision imposed by the Commission to grant a temporary 18 month 'technical extension' of the EU approval of the herbicide. Through the petitions they presented to the committee this week, the glyphosate file came back on the EP agenda, with again a strong call from citizens to ban the use of the substance
Good for business, bad for us: Round 2. Why Bayer buying Monsanto is more than just another merger
Bayer has officially announced the acquisition of Monsanto on 14 September 2016. The deal still has to be validated by DG Competition.
While such deals appear to make good business sense to the companies concerned, for consumers they are potential disasters
Animal testing: The EU court agrees with animal advocates
On 21st September, the Court of Justice of the European Union confirmed that European law does not allow the industry to market products for which animal tests have been carried outside the EU. For the Greens the European Parliament opinion is a signal to lawmakers and industry worldwide.
- Read more (in FR)
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Olivier de Schutter: Politicians must learn from citizens' food experiences
Interview of Olivier de Schutter former UN special Rapporteur for the Right to Food, co-chairs the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food), done this summer by Marijn Bouwmeester from De Helling, the scientific bureau of the Dutch Greens, Groen Links, and also the quarterly magazine of Groen Links
A shorter version of the interview was published in Dutch in the autumn edition of the magazine
The Monsanto Tribunal: Because industrial agriculture is endangering farmers, citizens, the ecosystems and our future
The Monsanto tribunal, which will be held from 14 to 16 October in The Hague, along with the People’s Assembly, aims at examining the means by which Monsanto was able to release dangerous chemical products used in agriculture without ever facing any consequences. The Tribunal is staged to provide a forum for victims to voice their concerns, and to allow a legal assessment of these claims.
Sulfoxaflor and flupyradifurone: Neonicotinoids or not?
PAN Europe recently published fact sheets to highlight how Dow and Bayer, the producers of sulfoxaflor and flupyradifurone have been twisting science and inventing their own rules to have sulfoxaflor and flupyradifurone not included in the neonicotinoids family. A way to through sand at the eyes of regulators.
Jan Slomp: Don’t let neoliberal ideology undermine farmers’ existence
Jan Slomp, president of Canada’s National Farmers Union (NFU), recently encouraged agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan to adopt a Canadian-style dairy system in order to solve the European dairy crisis. In the framework of an event organised by the European Milk Board, Mr Slomp came to the European Parliament in Brussels on 19th September to share Canada’s more than 50 years of experience with market management. The Greens/EFA group took the opportunity of this visit to discuss with Mr Slomp about the Canadian dairy system and how CETA would impact milk farmers on both sides of the Atlantic.
JOIN THE FOOD REVOLUTION: STORY OF THE MONTH
Heike is responsible for Mipygreen, a platform promoting urban ecology
Mipygreen is a multidisciplinary project and a cultural structure that choose for a sustainable development approach in order to: Promote intercultural and intergenerational meetings, establish a platform for dynamic exchanges and joint discussions with citizens; stimulate and support micro-projects whose holders are locals. The project is based in Toulouse, France and it regularly joins forces with similar actions in the surroundings and also with various national and international initiatives exploring innovative experiences of food production in cities.
Get to know more about Heike and her project and Join the Food Revolution yourself!
WHAT'S ON THE PLATE?
22/09: Launch of the European Citizens’ Initiative on Soil: A European Citizens' Initiative is a formal request to the European Commission to propose a legislation on soil protection. The citizens' initiative has to be backed by at least one million EU adult citizens, which can sign the petition through the official website www.people4soil.eu. The petition has a duration of 12 months, from 12 September 2016 to 11 September 2017.
03/10: Vote on 5 GMO objections will take place on 3/10 in the Environment Committee of the European Parliament and on 5/10 in plenary: 2 objections concern the placing on the market of a GM cotton and of maize Mon810 and 3 concern cultivation (a renewal for maize Mon810 and a 1st authorization for maize Bt11 and maize 1507).
14-16/10: Monsanto Tribunal, de Hague, The Netherlands
16/10: UN World Food Day
20/10: Citizens' CETA Summit, European Parliament, Brussels
