Politics

EU: call for Special Committee on authorisation process of pesticides

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At yesterday's Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament, the Greens/EFA group will call for the establishment of a special committee to investigate the handling of the assessment process for pesticides.

Chile: new organic label launched

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All organic agricultural products marketed in Chile or abroad will carry the new Chilean organic label in future.

Sikkim: An organic vision becomes reality

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Sikkim, a small northeastern Himalayan state between Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan that boarders China in the North, made an important decision in 2010. Chief Minister Sri Pawan Chamling had a visionary goal: he wanted to place the state’s entire agriculture land under organic management. To achieve his goal, Chamling launched the Sikkim Organic Mission and within 15 years, the entire agriculture process was converted to organic, and Sikkim was declared “Organic State“ in 2016. This is a worldwide lighthouse example for further conversion of lands towards a 100% organic status. Watch the Video.

Breaking: EU renews glyphosate licence for five years

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It´s hardly to believe! Germany voted yes for a five years renewal for the weedkiller glyphosate - this ensured the qualified majority for the approval.While massive protests took place the member states disregarded the citizens requirements. 

Study: Major changes needed if CAP is to be made fit for purpose

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The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is not fit for purpose, according to a new study co-commissioned by the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament.

EU Organic Regulation: strong institutional commitment needed

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The trilogue agreement for a new organic regulation reached last June was adopted by the Special Committee on Agriculture on Monday and by the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture yesterday.

EU Organic Regulations confirmed

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On 20 November 2017 member states represented in the Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA) endorsed the deal on the overhaul of existing rules on organic production and labelling of organic products.

PAN Europe: the European Court’s chance to revolutionize EU pesticide policy

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In October, the European Court of Justice received four prejudicial questions related to the lack of reliability of the current pesticide risk assessment of EU by the French tribunal of Foix. As the debate about glyphosate raises identical issues, this is a prevailing problematic. According to PAN Europe, there’s a chance that the safety of citizens and the environment within the EU gets improved as a result of the European Court’s answers to the questions.

USA: prohibition of aquaponics in organic food production rejected by NOSB

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At a meeting on the 1^st November 2017, the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) rejected the proposal to ban hydroponic and aquaponic production methods under the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Organic Program.

Glyphosate: no majority for a license-renewal

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Yesterday, the EU expert committee held a meeting in Brussels in order to vote on the five-year re-authorization of the herbicide glyphosate within the EU. Even after yesterday’s referendum in the lasting debate about the renewal of the pesticide’s approval, there hasn’t been a qualified majority. The committee voted neither for nor against the European Commission’s five-years-proposal.

Glyphosate in the EU: „The commission is tricking”

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Review: discussion on EU Organic Regulation

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At a panel discussion on the new EU organic regulation held in Berlin, members of parliament and spokespersons from companies and agriculture debated with representatives from German and European agencies.

TRACES: electronic certification system now compulsory

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The new electronic certification system called TRACES (Trade Control & Export System), which has been operated in the EU since April 2017, is now compulsory.

OWC: biggest organic farming event on the planet

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The Organic World Congress (OWC) is a global forum for organic farming and organic agriculture. It is coming to India for the first time in 40 years and will take place from 9-11 November 2017 Greater Noida, New Delhi. The event will play a critical role in strengthening the world organic farming movement and tilting India’s agricultural. According to the organizers the OWC will welcome around 3,000 delegates from 110 countries. As a parallel event BioFach India together with India Organic Trade Fair will take place at the same venue.

Demand for new German government: safeguard GMO free products

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Current seed evaluation shows that zero tolerance against GMOs works. Greenpeace, Bioland and IG Seed require to safeguard GMO free products.

Growing number of EU governments oppose re-approval of glyphosate

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The political and public opposition to glyphosate is growing in Europe. Yesterday representatives of governments have again rejected the Commission’s proposal for a ten year renewal of the licence for glyphosate. A final vote has been postponed to November.

Glyphosate - ban in Europe?

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The EU Parliament yesterday voted by a large majority for an expiry of the approval of the herbicide glyphosate by 2022. Parliamentarians thus clearly opposed the Commission's proposal for a ten-year extension.

Monsanto in trouble

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Monsanto is in trouble for many reasons. Among others, the authorization of Monsanto’s flagship Roundup and its ingredient glyphosate is expiring in the EU by the end of this year. More and more weeds are resistant to Roundup. Monsanto’s ‘solution’ to this problem, another very toxic herbicide Dicamba, turns out to be a complete failure. The Monsanto Tribunal last fall in The Hague and court cases have been exposing the way Monsanto works, and this helps to inspire others to show the true cost of Monsanto’s business. Films and books were released too.

Monsanto Tribunal Documentation: “Roundup, the trial" on Arte tv

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On Tuesday evening, the new documentary movie „Le Roundup face à ses juges” by French movie maker and book author Marie-Monique Robin (The World According to Monsanto, 2008) has been screened on Arte in French and German (Roundup, der Prozess).

MEPs call on the EU Commission to phase out glyphosate by 2020

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On 16 October a cross-party group of MEPs demanded a phase-out of glyphosate by December 2020. A ban on non-professional use of the herbicide and use in public parks or playgrounds they require by the end of this year.

EU Parliament: hearing on “the Monsanto papers and glyphosate”

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Yesterday, the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) and the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) held a public hearing in the European Parliament concerning “the Monsanto papers and glyphosate”. As Monsanto recently refused to attend the public hearing, the panels took place without the agrochemical corporation.

EU: Glyphosate license expiring

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Soon the EU member states will have to cast their vote for the final decision on the glyphosate license. On the 11th of October there will be an official hearing in the EU Parliament.

Plagiarism? EU voting on re-authorization of glyphosate deferred

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Did the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) copy a report by Monsanto? Back in September, the Greens already expressed this suspicion. Now, the voting over the re-authorization of glyphosate has been postponed.

US / EU: Soilless cultivation - organic or not?

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The discussion basically concerns the possibility to grow organic products not in the soil but in substrates. In the USA this has not been regulated until now. It is not explicitly forbidden. And in the regulatory void hydroponic companies were certified organic. 

USA: Organic Agriculture Research Act gained support

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The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), a non-profit foundation, reports a big success. The Organic Agriculture Research Act (H.R. 2436) gained crucial bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress recently.