Blog Archives - Page 20 of 21

10. October 2013

by Ben

Symphony of the Soil

Deborah Koons Garcia’s “Symphony of the Soil” presents a wondrous world of critters and bacteria, mulch and manure. Unfolding with gentle joy and an unexpected beauty, this ode to the miracle of the Earth’s topmost layer gives us a newfound respect for the ground beneath our …

18. September 2013

by Ben

UNCTAD: Wake up before its too late!

A United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report on Trade and Environment published on September 18th calls for radical changes in agriculture and food production. Farming in rich and poor nations alike should shift from monoculture towards greater varieties of crops, reduced use of …

13. September 2013

by Ben

European Parliament wants a little less agro-fuels

In a very narrow final vote (356 in favour, 327 agains, 14 abstentions) the European Parliament on Wednesday agreed on some reductions for the highly ambitious and environmentally questionable goals of the European Union on the use of agricultural products for fuel production. The EU’s Renewable …

12. September 2013

by Ben

FAO: one-third of world’s food wasted annually

The waste of some 1.3 billion tons of food each year is causing economic losses of $750 billion and significant damage to the environment, according to a United Nations report launched today. The report, Food Wastage Footprint: Impacts on Natural Resources, is the first study to …

11. September 2013

by Ben

Healthy and green diets go hand in hand

“Why is the way we eat so important?” asks Tony Long of WWF EU in an op ed for Euractiv, “Today the average European consumes almost 3,500 calories a day – 25% more than the daily recommended level – and eats approximately 70% more protein (mostly …

10. September 2013

by Ben

Global Soil Week in Berlin

27-31 October 2013 the 2nd “Global Soil Week” will bring together scientists, decision makers and activists from around the world on the topic of “losing ground”. Conservative estimates state that we are losing 24 billion tons of fertile soil each year. What does “losing ground” imply for …

8. September 2013

by Ben

EU parliament to vote on “bio”-fuel subsidies

On Wednesday 11 September the European Parliament will vote on the future of so called bio-fuels, which are subsidised massively within the European Union. The vote is expected to be tight but Corinne Lepage, the French Liberal MEP with the lead on the dossier, is “cautiously …

4. September 2013

by Ben

Syngenta sues EU Commission over bees

The world’s leading pesticide producer, Syngenta is taking legal action against the European Commission’s recent decision to suspend the use of thiamethoxam. According to the Basel-based agrochemical group, the decision was taken “on the basis of a flawed process, resulting in an inadequate and incomplete assessment …

3. September 2013

by Ben

7000 citizens beleaguer Europe’s largest chicken slaughterhouse

7000 people turned up outside of Europe’s biggest chicken slaughterhouse on Saturday, August 31st to demonstrate against the the kind of industrial farming that is destroying fair, green and local food and farming. Organized by the German campaign alliance “Meine Landwirtschaft” (my agriculture) the event was a huge success. …

28. August 2013

by Ben

Sign up to stop food speculation

It looks like a retro computer game, but sign up for this game and add your voice to a protest against food speculation planned for Brussels on September 4. “It doesn’t matter if you are no good at the game, just add your name to the …