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Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius confirmed last week the deadline for presenting an EU Biodiversity Strategy on 20/05/2020. According to Sinkievičius, however, the goal of organic farming is still being discussed within the European Commission - in the draft version of the Strategy in early May 2020 the Commission proposes to reach at least 25% of total agricultural land under organic farming, in previous proposals the Commission considered 30%. The resulting target for organic farming could therefore still be different. In this context, the European media recall that between 2000 and 2018, the average share of organic farming in the European Union increased from 2.3% to only 7.7%, and the targets set in the Biodiversity Strategy should be valid for 2030.
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On 14/05/2020, the European Commission launched a public consultation on climate action, adaptation to climate change. The consultation is a part of the European Green Deal and the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. The Commission states that extreme weather events have a significant impact on, for example, water scarcity in the EU, leading to reduced economic activity in agriculture, aquaculture, tourism, power plant cooling, and cargo shipping on rivers. The consultation is open until 20/08/2020.
More information is available here.

The European Commission is preparing a package of measures for an economic recovery plan under the European Green Deal (under the Multiannual Financial Framework). The circular economy will be one of the main pillars of the Green Deal, but the COVID-19 pandemic has jeopardized its functioning - for example, according to the Commission, demand for virgin plastics has risen & demand for recycled plastics has fallen, especially in the context of falling oil prices. According to the Commission, this trend could jeopardize the implementation of European waste legislation. The Commission states the need to secure new direct investment in the waste sector, especially for collection, sorting, recycling, and infrastructure. The proportion of recycled components in new products must also be increased. Investments in support of waste policy should reach tens of billions of euros, the Commission also aims to support digitization. Of the agri-food chain, the European Commission identifies the digitization and development of internet access as one of the main aspects of recovery, which should lead to enhanced access to information and facilitate the transition to more sustainable farming practices, the development of precision farming and the reduction of agricultural inputs, including fertilizers or pesticides. The Commission plans to allocate € 130 billion to support internet access for farmers, and a further € 35 billion to support digitization (from CAP budget and new sources). According to the Commission, investment in bioeconomic and carbon sequestration needs to be further strengthened - for this purpose the Commission should allocate EUR 14 billion under the recovery package (from CAP, LIFE programme, and new sources), support should be used to plant 3 billion trees by 2030, restore peatlands, carbon sequestration practices, move to agri-forestry with 2.6 million hectares, and build a European low-carbon farming system. The Commission has identified renewable energy sources as the third agricultural area to be included in the package. The Commission emphasized the need to reduce emissions from livestock production, supported the production of biogas from waste materials, and emphasized that biomass production is possible but must not jeopardize the level of food security in the EU. Over a period of two years, €4 billion should be allocated to investments related to the production of biogas from waste and the production of advanced biofuels.

The European Commission has issued a report on the welfare of animals exported by sea to countries in North Africa and the Middle East. According to the report, European countries, apart from Ireland and Portugal, have failed to create legal systems to protect animal welfare that sufficiently minimize transport risks. The main reasons are insufficiently qualified staff and failure to set aside an appropriate amount of time to inspect the vessel and its conditions.
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Pork exports from the USA reached a record volume of 291,459 tons in March 2020, mainly due to demand from China, Mexico, Japan, and Canada. According to the US Department of Agriculture and the US Federation for Meat Exports, this is an increase of 38% compared to March 2019. In the first quarter, pork exports increased by 40% compared to 2019 to 838,118 tons and $ 2.23 billion (an increase of 52%). The temporary closure of some US processing companies due to the COVID-19 has not yet had a significant effect on exports.
More information is available here.