A Glimmer of Hope for Animal Welfare in Europe 18 January 2021 Alice Poiron 2020 was an encouraging year for the future of animal welfare in Europe. From animal welfare labelling to live transport and alternatives to caging, the European Union has taken important steps towards improving the way farm animals are treated and the conditions they live in. But the fight is far from over. Last month, good news for animal welfare …
Give Bees and other Pollinators a Fighting Chance: Protect the Forest! 16 December 2020 Paula Thomas As more and more forests around the world get decimated to plant monocrops, bees and other pollinators not only lose habitat but also enter a fight for survival against the increased use of pesticides and other agrichemicals, without the help of plant biodiversity that normally provides them with nutrients and healing compounds. For centuries, bees …
Biodiversity is our Life Insurance 7 December 2020 Alice Poiron Since its early days, Slow Food has put the defense of biodiversity at the heart of its strategies. This precious natural resource is under threat worldwide, including in Europe. But what is biodiversity? What does it have to do with our food and health? And what is the European Union doing to restore its richness? Our …
Letter to the EU Commission on Transparency of CAP Trilogues process 30 November 2020 The CAP is of critical importance to the success of the European Green Deal, including the ‘Farm to Fork’ and Biodiversity Strategies. Given its volume of 387 billion € of EU taxpayers’ money until 2027, it is a matter of significant public interest, therefore extended transparency of the decisionmaking process should be the norm for …
The Common Agricultural Policy Keeping Ambitions High in Europe 26 November 2020 Alice Poiron On November 24, Slow Food hosted an online event “The Common Agricultural Policy: Keeping Ambition High in Europe”, with representatives from the European Commission (Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development), from the German and Italian Ministries of Agriculture, as well as farmers and experts from the Slow Food network in Italy and Germany. The …
Letter to the UN and the European Union on the role of food and farming in the fight against climate change 23 November 2020 In a joint letter, civil society organizations and Slow Food draw the attention of the COP26 co-hosts from the United Nations Organization and the European Union on the role of food and farming in mitigating climate change. “Energy, fossil fuels, transport and industry tend to dominate climate discussions and actions. However, the food system generates …
Building A Future Based on Food Heritage 20 November 2020 What role should our food heritage play in Europe? How can it be a resource for the post-pandemic period? As part of the Terra Madre festival, Slow Food and Europa Nostra hosted a virtual event “Food and Cultural Heritage: an EU Policy Perspective” on November 17th with representatives from the European Commission’s agricultural, education and …
Letter about the representation of peasant, agroecological and organic farmers at Agricultural Outlook conference 17 November 2020 In a joint letter, civil society organizations and Slow Food Europe, ask the European Commission that farmers be well represented among the speakers at the forthcoming EU Agricultural Outlook Conference, as well as other high-level events about agriculture that will take place in the future. “We deeply regret that no representative of small and medium …
Civil Society Calls on the EU to Prohibit Exports of Banned Pesticides 5 November 2020 Paula Thomas, Madeleine Coste Fueling the climate crisis, European Union member countries continue to approve and export pesticides containing substances banned in European fields due to environmental and human health concerns, which later return to Europeans’ plates through food imports. Recent research shows the residues of 74 pesticides banned in the EU were found in food tested on the …
Open Letter to Frans Timmermans : No to double standards ! 5 November 2020 In their joint letter, Slow Food together with many other civil society organizations, remind Executive Vice-President Timmermans that “the EU has a global leadership role to play on these issues and can help to achieve an international consensus that these abhorrent practices, which result in discrimination and exploitation, must end. This could be achieved by …
