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The Statistical office of the EU Eurostat has published up-to-date data on the total area under organic farming in the EU. In 2018, 13.4 million hectares (7.5%) of the total agricultural area were used for organic farming, which is 34% more than in 2012. Most developed is organic farming in Austria (24.1% under organic farming), followed by Estonia (20.6%), Sweden (20.3%), Italy (15.2%), the Czech Republic (14, 8%), Latvia (14.5%), Finland (13.1%) and Slovenia (10%). Malta has the lowest share (0.4%), Romania (2.4%), and Bulgaria, Ireland and the United Kingdom (both 2.6%) Switzerland uses 15.4% of the land for organic farming, while below the EU average is Norway with 4.7% and Iceland with 0.4%.
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Annually, the European Commission launches calls for participation in programmes to promote European agricultural products, some € 200 million is earmarked for promotional programs this year. While farmers and producers consider this support necessary, the Green and Socialist factions in the EP perceive programs as illogical as they lead to increased CO2 emissions and air pollution. The Greens and S&D will therefore call for the end of all forms of promotion in the reform negotiations on the new CAP. Against this is the European People's Party (EPP), according to which the ending of public funding for promotion can destroy certain agricultural sectors and threaten the future of farmers. Approximately € 71.5 million has been spent on meat promotion alone in the last three years.
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The European Commission has approved an Irish investment plan of € 200 million for long-term investments in the food industry. The EC approved the Irish plan on 04/02/2020, with the scheme running from 2020 to 2025, and will provide grants to SMEs and large companies processing and marketing agricultural products. The plan is primarily aimed at investing in innovations that would not have been feasible without public support. The Commission has also ensured that the scheme complies with the State aid rules in agriculture as it will not lead to undue distortions of competition and trade.
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Food company Danone will provide a financial investment to the French company Phenix, whose activities are focused on reducing food waste. Phenix has created a platform to combat food waste, designed for each link in the food chain, from manufacturer to restaurants. Its customers include e.g. Coca - Cola or Carrefour. The solution portfolio includes various forms ranging from donations to NGOs, food banks, discount sales through consumer-focused applications, or feed processing. The amount of Danone's investment is not known, but in 2018 Phenix was supported by other companies with € 15 million.
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The British tax levied in 2018 on soft drinks containing more than 5 g of sugar per 100 ml of beverage brings positive results. According to a study published in PLOS Medicine, 52% of beverages would fall into this category before tax, while in February 2019 it was only 15%. Fruit and milk-based drinks and companies selling less than 1 million litters per year are exempt from tax. The author of the study, Peter Scarborough, an associate professor at Oxford University, proposed extending the tax to include exceptions.
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