Join the Food Revolution Newsletter
Issue n°21 June 2016
GREEN INSIGHT INTO EU FOOD POLICY
- Glyphosate approval: EU governments should begin glyphosate phase-out following Commission intransigence
- Toxic substances: Shameful Commission compounds wrongs on endocrine disruptors
- EU funding for New Alliance ignores murky world of land-grabs and human rights violations
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
- IPES-Food report: 'From Uniformity to Diversity: A paradigm shift from industrial agriculture to diversified agroecological systems'
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
GREEN INSIGHT INTO EU FOOD POLICY
Glyphosate approval: EU governments should begin glyphosate phase-out following Commission intransigence In the evening of 28th June, EU health commissioner Andriukaitis confirmed that the European Commission would be granting a temporary 'technical extension' of the EU approval of the herbicide glyphosate, despite the proposal having failed to secure the support of the necessary qualified majority of EU governments again last week. This temporary extension must be the beginning of the end for glyphosate; we would now urge EU governments and regions to exercise their rights to impose significant restrictions on its use, so we can begin the process of phasing-out glyphosate
- Read more
- Read the letter sent by Green MEPs to call governments to work towards a sustainable non-toxic model of agriculture (available in EN, DE, FR)
Toxic substances: Shameful Commission compounds wrongs on endocrine disruptors On 15th June, the European Commission presented long-delayed proposals, setting out scientific criteria to address the problem of chemical substances that interfere with the endocrine system. Instead of learning the lessons of the European court ruling against it, the Commission has compounded the damage of delaying action on chemical substances that interfere with the endocrine system by proposing inappropriate measures for dealing with them.
EU funding for New Alliance ignores murky world of land-grabs and human rights violations On the face of it, the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition looks like an extremely worthy project: encouraging private investment in African farming to help improve food production and reduce hunger and poverty. But the noble words behind the project mask the violent and dangerous reality, as one New Alliance project in Tanzania illustrates. In effect, through their support for the G7-led project, the EU and its member states are involved in land deals by private companies that lead to human rights violations. On 7th June, the initiative report led by Green MEPs Maria Heubuch was adopted by a large majority of MEPs. This result is a clear call against the project of the New Alliance which leads to land grabbing and thretens small farmers in subsaharian Africa. It also underlines MEPs refusal to promote genetic engineering in the region.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
First thematic report from IPES-Food: 'From Uniformity to Diversity: A paradigm shift from industrial agriculture to diversified agroecological systems' On 2th June, the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food), co-chaired by Olivier de Schutter (former UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food) and Olivia Yambi (nutritionist and former UNICEF representative to Kenya), published its first thematic report, 'From Uniformity to Diversity: A paradigm shift from industrial agriculture to diversified agroecological systems'. Input-intensive crop monocultures and industrial-scale feedlots must be consigned to the past in order to put global food systems onto sustainable footing, according to the world’s foremost experts on food security, agro-ecosystems and nutrition. The solution is to diversify agriculture and reorient it around ecological practices, whether the starting point is highly-industrialized agriculture or subsistence farming in the world’s poorest countries, the experts argued. The Greens welcome this report which reflects again the support of the scientific community to a political demand we defend for a long time: at the European level: a shift towards a more coherent and integrated European food policy which works with nature and not against it. As such, environment-friendly methods based on agroecology are economically sustainable and are sufficiently productive to provide enough food for all.
JOIN THE FOOD REVOLUTION: STORY OF THE MONTH
Jonathan and its ‘Bordeaux Wine trail’, offers small group wine tours, all-inclusive getaways, fun and original activities. In a nutshell, the best of the Bordeaux region and its traditions.
The goal of the ‘Bordeaux Wine trail’ is to introduce you to the culinary, natural, historical and cultural heritage through entertaining and unique tours. This will give you the opportunity to taste wines that are symbolic of Bordeaux at the château wineries where they’re made. Take your palate on an adventure and taste local foods such as delicious cheeses and other regional specialties! Get to know more about Jonathan and Join the Food Revolution yourself!
WHAT'S ON THE PLATE?
12/07: Conference: Selling Off the Farm: Corporate Meat’s Takeover Through TTIP 12:30-14:30, European Parliament, Altiero Spinelli building room A3H1 18/07: Standing committee (comitology) meeting on the renewal of the authorisation for cultivation in the EU of 3 GM maize (the well-known Mon810, the T1507 and the BT11).
