News

The Standing Committee on Agricultural Research (SCAR), set up by the European Council in 1974 to provide expertise and support to Member States and the Commission, issued a press release on 18/01/2021 on the implementation of the EU Green Deal during the current coronavirus crisis. In its report, SCAR warns that Member States could neglect the objectives of the Green Deal due to the priority focus on tackling the coronavirus crisis. According to SCAR members, the solution could be to set ambitious targets for 2050, not just 2030, as set by the Farm to Fork strategies and for biodiversity under the European Green Deal. SCAR calls on the Member States to commit themselves without delay to reducing 81% of phosphorus and 75% of pesticides used in agriculture by 2050. According to SCAR, clear goals should also be set in nutrition - by 2050 the average BMI (body mass index, overweight / obesity indicator) should be reduced, and meat consumption should be reduced as well (according to SCAR, Europeans now consume two and a half to three times more than recommended). SCAR has expressed support for the circular economy, agroecology, innovation, investment, and consumer awareness.
More information is available here.

Germany is the first country to end the mass killing of one-day-old male chickens (roosters). The measure was approved by the German government on 20/01/2021 based on a bill submitted by the Minister for Agriculture, Julia Klöckner. The law must now be approved by the Bundestag and should enter into force by the end of 2021. Julia Klöckner considers stopping this practice to be an important step towards strengthening animal welfare.
More information is available here and here.

Representatives of German farmers, including the German DBV, supported the inclusion of mandatory origin and farming designations in the information provided to consumers on food packaging, which they said could strengthen the promotion of sustainable regional and local production and farmers' incomes. The proposal is a response to the long-term low prices of agricultural production in Germany. The proposal bearing the working title "German Bonus" has already received the support of the Minister of Agriculture in Lower Saxony, it will be presented at the German Conference of Ministers of Agriculture in March 2021.
More information is available here.

On 22/01/2021, the European Commission approved the use of eight genetically modified useful plants in food and feed. Specifically, there are three types of maize, two types of soya and the renewal of the authorization of the other three types of maize. All plants have been subjected to a professional authorization process (including assessment by the European Food Safety Authority), which is valid for 10 years.
More information is available here.

On 22/12/2020, the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture presented a national protein strategy aimed at strengthening the cultivation of protein-rich crops over the next five to ten years. The aim is to obtain proteins from new sources, including kitchen scraps, beet leaves, and brewers, and to identify how proteins can be extracted from seaweed. The Dutch strategy is guided by the EU's ambition to reduce its dependence on protein imports and increase plant protein production in the EU. The Netherlands imports about 80% of vegetable protein and is the largest importer of soybeans in the EU.
More information is available here.