Upon this title, Tamar Haspel, writer, demonstrates that the “unbreachable divide between advocates of modern conventional agriculture and, essentially, everyone else, from the mainstream (organic, local, anti-GMO) to the less-so (biodynamics, permaculture, agroforestry)” is not only partisan, but also misleading, “for the simple reason that food and philosophy don’t mix”. According to T Haspel, agriculture is a matter of…
Europe and international
28 Jul 2015
07 Jul 2015
COLEACP-PIP is an initiative for the search of Plant Protection solutions for ACP (Africa-Caribbean-Pacific) countries . In this article (in English), COLEACP, which pilot this initiative, explains the work in progress for a better knowledge of biocontrol solutions. COLEACP notes : « Minor crops (including fruit, vegetables, and herbs) face a global shortage of plant protection products PPPs). The…
24 Jun 2015
19 agri-food chain organizations, associated in the AFCRT, and Anthea McIntyre, UK MEP, organized an event at the European Parliament. They “call for a coherent policy on plant protection solutions, including minor uses and speciality crops” Read the presentation including: – Agriculture production perspective, by Luc Peeters, Copa-Cogeca: need for a quick and concrete harmonization of the EU plant…
12 May 2015
On this title, David Zaruk, on his blog The risk monger, describes how, in a EU meeting, there is a heavy process to give the talk to the NGOs lobbyists and to ostracise the industries lobbyists and their data. There is a huge difference between Washington DC and Brussels : In the USA, there are lobbyists. In Brussels,…
11 May 2015
IR-4 is an USA program dedicated to the minor uses issue in the USA: Since 1963, it has been “the major resource for supplying pest management tools for specialty crop growers by developing research data to support new EPA tolerances and labeled product uses.” Read the 2014 IR-4 Year End Summary to understand what is the IR-4 program….
09 Mar 2015
Under this title, The Modesto Bee, a California newspaper, writes about the action of Project Apis m (in English), a non-profit association of growers, beekeepers and scientists which “funds and directs research to enhance the health and vitality of honey bee colonies while improving crop production”. “Researchers say the causes could include diseases, parasites, trucking stress, pesticides or poor…
06 Mar 2015
The Agri-food Chain RoundTable for Plant Protection is an informal coordination of 16 europeans organizations of growers, cooperatives, food importers, plant protection industry, etc. including Copa-Cogeca, Freshfel, Profel, ECPA and IBMA. In December 2014, the Roundtable released “A call for a coherent policy on plant protection solutions, including minor uses” (originally in English, and now available en français, en…
23 Dec 2014
The NFU (National Farmers Union) has released « Healthy Harvest », a public friendly document based on a full report on “The Effect of the Loss of Plant Protection Products on UK Agriculture and Horticulture and the Wider Economy” Over-regulation, both at an EU and UK level, severely hampers our ability to provide the raw ingredients for the food and drink…