EFFAB/ FABRE – TP

 

Názov:  Strategic dialogue on the Future of EU agriculture

NEWS 18/6/2024

NEWS: 2/4/2024

NEWS 13/02/2024

The 7^th edition of the Code is now ready for use.

We are happy to announce that today we are publishing a press release available in 7 European languages to maximise the impact and visibility of this 7^th edition.

You can download the available versions from the links below:

1.       Danish

2.       Dutch

3.       English

4.       French

5.       German

6.       Italian

7.       Spanish

NEWS 23/01/2024

Názov: Publications and news from Brussels

We have selected some news and publications published recently. We hope you will find them interesting :

    From the European Commission (DG AGRI and DG MARE)

        The report of the AGRI research conference hosted in Brussels in June 2023 is now available. The FABRE TP secretariat and some FABRE TP members participated in it. The report summarises the main points addressed by speakers and discussed at the workshops organized by DG AGRI, where attendees could actively participate. Animal breeding and genetics are highlighted as part of the need for further research to improve farming systems.

        The EU outlook for agriculture products was presented in December at the Outlook Agricultural conference.  

        Report of the EU on the CAP Strategic Plans covering 2023-2765 AGRI ministers met in Berlin last week at the Green Week. They have published a final Final Communiqueì on “Food Systems for Our Future: Joining Forces for a Zero Hunger World” and a press release

        The website of the EU Aquaculture Assistance mechanism provides activities and knowledge about aquaculture in the EU.

        The EU’s climate Advisory Board published its report: 'Towards EU climate neutrality: progress, policy gaps and opportunities’. Based on an assessment of more than 80 indicators, it found that more efforts are needed across all sectors to achieve the EU climate objectives from 2030 to 2050, and particularly in buildings, transport, agriculture and forestry.

    From the European Parliament :

        Rural areas – levels of support and impact on competitiveness of farms

        Aquaculture – Challenges and opportunities for EU fisheries and aquaculture

            Part I:  Decarbonisation and circular economy aspects for fisheries (already shared with you)

            Part II : Marine and biodiversity aspects

            Part III : Food security aspects

    Other :

        The Agriculture Ministers’ Conference at the International Green Week in Berlin published a press release and a communiqué to make global agriculture and food systems more sustainable and more resilient.

            Press release:

            Final Communiqueì 2024: Food Systems for Our Future: Joining Forces for a Zero Hunger World

        COP28 :

            FAO report on “Pathways for lower emissions: A global assessment of the greenhouse gas emissions and mitigation options from livestock agrifood systems” was published in December 2023, during COP28. The World Farmers Organisation (WFA) has analysed the FAO report.

            COP28 declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food systems and Climate Action

RaboResearch service:

            Aquaculture outlook 2024

            Animal protein Outlook 2024

            Green Deal and farming

            Global dairy sector taking the lead on reducing GHG

NEWS 22/01/2024

Názov: AW assesment : EFSA publication

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has recently published a report called “Development of a Roadmap for Action for the Project More Welfare: Towards new risk assessment methodologies and harmonized animal welfare data in the EU” This Roadmap intends to capture steps and needs to develop new methodologies for assessing AW of farm animals by 2027 and start collecting standardised and good quality AW data by 2030.

It maps existing animal welfare assessment methods, tools, and data collection activities for different species of food‐producing animals through literature review, desk research, online surveys, and workshops. It identifies data and knowledge gaps and challenges and blockers prevalent in AW assessment.

In doing so, the roadmap points towards research areas that require further development (i.e., working areas), but also highlights collaboration opportunities and priority strategies (actions and project proposals) necessary for achieving EFSA's vision. Seven working areas for animal welfare assessment were identified and discussed with EFSA and external AW experts during virtual workshops, touching upon the definition of animal welfare, indicators and tools for welfare assessment, and the development of frameworks to assess and/or prioritise animal welfare issues.

Finally, the Roadmap formulates five project proposals, each of them presenting high‐level recommendations on multi‐annual and multi‐partner projects that were identified in collaboration with EFSA and AW experts, each supported by a SWOT analysis.

NEWS 17/01/2024

Názov: GE news/ Dec 2023- January 2024

EFFAB-FABRE TP Gene Editing news :

·         NGTs proposal in the EU and the ANSES report

·         Precision Breeding Bill in the UK

·         FAO case studies on the use of biotechnologies

·         EU New Research Projects on Detection Methods ; EFFAB is involved in if you are conducted

·         ARRIGE news of GE in Human Medicine

NEWS 15/11/2023

NEWS

06/07/2023

Agreement signed between the EU and New Zealand for the participation of New Zealand in EU programs like Horizon Europe: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2023/07/09/the-eu-and-new-zealand-sign-an-agreement-for-the-participation-of-new-zealand-in-european-programmes-like-horizon-europe/?utm_source=dsms-auto[&]utm_medium=email[&]utm_campaign=The+EU+and+New+Zealand+sign+an+agreement+for+the+participation+of+New+Zealand+in+European+programmes+like+Horizon+Europe

 

05/07/2023

Save the date for our event on 28 September

When: 28 September, 14:00-18:00
Where: Concert Noble, rue d'Arlon 82, Brussels

EU associations representing the livestock value chain have come together to organise this pivotal event on the future of livestock.

Our event aims to offer an open discussion amongst scientists, policymakers, NGOs and the private sector, to show our willingness to seek dialogue with all stakeholders and address societal challenges through feasible and practical solutions.

Together we can work towards bringing an end to the current polarisation around animal husbandry and the role of livestock both in our food systems and in society.

The full programme will be published shortly and registration will start in August.

05/07/2023

LONDON — U.K. and EU negotiators have agreed a draft deal on Britain’s re-entry into the Horizon Europe research program after months of hard-fought talks.

U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will be presented with the draft deal by officials this weekend ahead of a crunch meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen next Tuesday where the final agreement may be confirmed, two U.K. government officials — granted anonymity to speak about sensitive discussions — said.

One of the officials said Britain will re-join Horizon Europe, which has a €95.5 billion budget for the period 2021-27, and the Copernicus Earth observation program — but not Euratom’s nuclear energy R[&]D scheme, which both the British government and the U.K. nuclear sector consider “poor value for money,” the official said.

Britain formally left all three schemes when it quit the EU in January 2020, and negotiations to re-associate as a third country stalled amid the bitter row over post-Brexit trade rules in Northern Ireland.

Talks finally restarted in earnest in March, after London and Brussels struck the Windsor Framework deal. Expectations were high of a swift resolution after the Commission confirmed it would not require the U.K. to pay backdated participation fees for the two years of the Horizon program it had missed.

But the U.K. government pressed for a bigger discount, arguing the two-year hiatus had left British-based researchers and businesses in a weakened position compared to their peers across Europe because they were prevented from leading multi-country research consortia, and had already changed their research plans due to the uncertainty.

British civil servants produced modeling to estimate how much U.K.-based scientists are likely to win back in grant funding in the final five years of the scheme, and requested a further rebate to help fill the gap. In the meantime, U.K. ministers floated a domestic “Plan B” last year known in Whitehall as Pioneer.

The negotiations on Britain’s contributions concluded late on Tuesday evening, the first official said, with the Treasury on board with the proposal. They declined to give exact details of the financial arrangement.

Sunak is expected to make a decision on whether to proceed when he studies the deal in detail this weekend, ahead of a bilateral meeting with von der Leyen in the margins of the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, next Tuesday.

“It’s going to be crunch time over the weekend,” said the second government official privy to the outcome of the discussions, adding that next Tuesday’s meeting would be a “critical juncture” in the discussions.

Sunak will be advised that the U.K. should join Horizon Europe and Copernicus in January 2024, and the Commission is believed to be on board with the date, but the first official said the date is likely to be agreed at the Tuesday meeting.

A legal text will then be drafted once the two leaders sign off on the terms of the agreement, the same official added.

NEWS: 28/06/2023

Názov: Sustainable food consomption

Today, the EU Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM) released the scientific opinion with policy recommendations of the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors to the European Commission on sustainable food consumption. I have attached the report and the short and executive summaries.

Also, SAPEA (Science Advice to Policy by EU Academies) has published a second report on the drivers to change consumers' behaviour related to food consumption. This report has provided insights to the SAM to produce the SAM report above mentioned. In its press release, SAPEA says :

“A group of top European scientists have advised Commissioners on how to transform European food consumption to become healthier and more sustainable. Experts advise unburdening the consumer and making sustainable, healthy food an easy and affordable choice.  The advice comes in response to a request from the College of Commissioners to the Scientific Advice Mechanism to inform the revision of the Farm to Fork strategy. Our report, together with the policy recommendations, was submitted this morning, addressing key policy areas including pricing, availability, composition, and the social and digital environments that influence which foods people consume.   Europe’s current food system has a major impact on the environment, and poor-quality diets are also linked to risk of disease, obesity and overweight — which affects around 60% of adults and 30% of children in European countries, our report shows.”

Professor Erik Mathijs, the chair of the SAPEA working group that reviewed the scientific evidence says: “Policies should address the whole food environment, anywhere where food is obtained, eaten, and discussed, such as shops, restaurants, homes, schools, and workplaces, and increasingly also digital media.” Because of this complexity, it is crucial to follow the scientific evidence for decision-making, he added.  

Based on this evidence, the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors to the European Commission - another key part of the Scientific Advice Mechanism - recommend a range of evidence-based measures for promoting healthy and sustainable food choices, including pricing, availability and visibility, composition etc. Find out more here.

The evidence points in particular to five key elements:

• Pricing: There is clear evidence that direct measures are effective. This includes sugar taxes, meat taxes, and pricing products according to their environmental impacts, as well as lower taxes on healthy and sustainable alternatives. These policies must be delivered in a way that is fair, especially to people from disadvantaged backgrounds, for instance by returning tax proceeds to vulnerable citizens.
• Availability and visibility: Healthy and sustainable food options are more frequently chosen if they are displayed in prominent places. The advertising of foods which are unhealthy or unsustainable if consumed regularly should be restricted. Voluntary codes of conduct in this area have not been effective.
• Composition: Reducing unhealthy fat, sugar and salt content, and adding more plant-based alternatives, can be helpful — but only if these measures are mandatory and comprehensive. The evidence shows that past voluntary agreements have had limited effect.
• Labelling: Labelling foods to show their health impacts has a low to moderate effect. There are now many such schemes, with more appearing all the time. Since the effectiveness of labels depends on consumer trust, we need clear, coherent standards to underpin them.
• Social environment: Peer and social influence has been shown to be effective in improving healthy eating. Digital technologies offer further possibilities, but also pose huge risks of stimulating unhealthy and unsustainable consumption, for example through industry marketing strategies.

Some of these policies imply longer-term and more transformational changes than others – but the need to begin making changes is urgent. Achieving this is not just about implementing new policies, but also removing or changing existing policies that divert from our goals, such as subsidies for unhealthy or unsustainable food production.

It will be critical to create an environment that allows all stakeholders to work towards the goal of healthy and sustainable food, following fair rules. This approach may also help to overcome opposition from those who profit from the current system, including some large private sector organisations with powerful voices”.

EFFAB/FABRE TP attended a meeting organised by the EC earlier this month about the 2 reports. We didn’t have access to the full reports, only a number of slides (attached). We provided comments during the meeting :

• Interesting description of sociological aspects of food consumption  
• definition of sustainable  ; only environmental sustainability was considered
• circularity of food systems seemed not to be considered.
• The concept of healthy is ignoring part of the recent literature, in particular the relationship of Animal sourced food in and healthy diets e.g. Alice Stanton publication https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00311-7/fulltext
• the proposal of taxing meat seemed problematic with the role of red meat as part of healthy diets ; not without saying that over-consumption should be addressed.
• Diversity of ASF (Animal Sourced products) is essential for populations, including aquaculture products.
• food security was not addressed during the meeting, as well as the affordability of ASF for more vulnerable populations and then, the contradiction of taxing meat; source of essential nutrients
• not a word about ultra-processed food/sodas (at least during the presentation)
• role of education (weight is disproportionally put on information and labelling)
• the meeting with stakeholder was too late in the calendar to be called “stakeholders’ consultation” (3 weeks ahead of the publication). You will see my name in the list of “consulted” stakeholders. But this was not a proper consultation and other scientific groups, as ATF, were not consulted.

NEWS 23/06/2023

Názov: EFSA's upcoming calls for proposals on AW

• Calls will open during summer until September ; they should be published on the EFSA website before the end of June.
• Proposals are related to the work of ESA (Risk assessment) and intend to cover the integration of positive welfare in AW Risk Assessment (AWRA), monitoring AWRA using animal-based measures and animal welfare during transport and heat stress in the EU.
• Call 1 (1 M euros) with 2 independent lots of activities (based on recently published mandates from the EC) : data gaps

• Risk based model for dairy herd welfare : field data collection – 500 K)
• Modelling effective temperatures inside a livestock (pigs, cattle…) truck and demonstrating the conditions that will allow the animals to drink (500 K)

• Call 2 : positive welfare (3 years) methods and research to avoid negative welfare has been at the focus but knowledge of indicators for positive welfare need to be developed.  

• WP1 : developing a methodology to assess positive welfare on farm (indicators, under lab and conditions fields for at least 2 species)
• WP2 : Recommending experimental protocols to masure the effect of feed additives on AW

Consortiums are encouraged, instead of applications from a unique research team. The full text should be published soon. I’m sending the same email to FABRE TP researchers.

The collaboration with EU welfare reference centres and ongoing projects is encouraged.

• https://eurcaw-pigs.eu
• https://www.eurcaw-poultry-sfa.eu/en/minisite/sfawc/welcome-european-reference-centre-animal-welfare-poultry-and-other-small-farmed
• https://www.eurcaw-ruminants-equines.eu

NEWS: 24/05/2023

Názvo: Latest developments in the EU related to NGTs in animals and plants.

• For targeted cisgenesis and mutagenesis in plants, a proposal for new legislation should be published end of June 2023. The “should’ is very important as the political situation in Brussels is becoming quite tough between the European Commission and the European Parliament. You can find attached a short presentation from the EC about the main policy options and the link to an article explaining the political situation in Brussels https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/eu-gene-editing-pesticide-cut-proposals-package-deal-commission-warns/
• In animals, DG SANTE Biotech Unit confirmed to EFFAB that EFSA has finally started to work to cover NGTs applied to animals. EFSA will deliver the output by 30 June 2025.  The EC has updated the mandate sent to EFSA a few years ago. It was mainly focusing on synthetic biology. They cannot delete this part, as it will be very complicated to start a new request, but they have asked to add NGTs applied to animals. Page 3 to 5 of the attached file explains the scope of the mandate. EFSA has already started to contact actors out of the EU to draft an inventory of applications.

News: 12/01/2023

Názov:Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) Instrument INFO DAY 19 January 2023

The EC asked us to inform you that the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) are organising I3 Instrument Infoday, on 19th January.

The purpose of this event is to provide potential applicants with all necessary information about the call for proposals opened on 15^th December: “Strand 2b Capacity Building in Less Developed Regions (LDR)”. This call aims at exploring innovative ideas to increase the capacity of regional innovation ecosystems in less developed regions.

To register for the event or to get more information about the call for proposals, please click here.

12/01/2023

Názov:JOB OFFER

FBN is looking for a project management person for the concept development phase of EURO-FAANG infrastructure. A project in which EFFAB is also involved.

FBN is looking for someone with experience in “Brussels networks and dealings”, and the background could also be economics or even geography. It does not have to be an animal science background, for this concept development phase. A person with cluster- or network-management experience from industry might be very useful, e.g. from sectors like biotech, pharma or other agro-food or health-related ones.

Bližšie informácie prof. Ing. Radovan KAsarda, PhD.

11/01/2023

Názov: 2 publications about food security and innovation for food systems transformation :

• Analysis of main drivers on food security : a working document from the EC published on the 4 January. A summary from AGRA-FACTS is attached to this email. And the full report can be found through this link. https://commission.europa.eu/system/files/2023-01/SWD_2023_4_1_EN_document_travail_service_part1_v2.pdf
• Science and Innovation for Food systems transformation by Joachim von Braun (Chair of the Scientific Group for the UN Food Systems Summit), Kaosar Afsana, Louise O. Fresco and Mohamed Hag Ali Hassanhttps://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/978-3-031-15703-5.pdf?pdf=button

News 14/11/2022: Sustainable food systems : new stakeholders group

The EU Commission has launched a new group to meet with stakeholders in Brussels ; the Advisory Group on Sustainability of Food Systems (AGSFS). The purpose of this group is to consult in an open and transparent way all relevant stakeholders on issues relating to the implementation of the Farm to Fork Strategy and food systems’ sustainability. From 15 July 2022 onwards, the AGSFS expert group will replace the Advisory Group on the Food Chain and Animal and Plant Health.

The first plenary meeting of this group took place on the 19 October.

The presentations can be found through the links below :

• State of play of the Farm To Fork Strategy initiatives
• Monitoring of the F2F Strategy
• Legislative Framework for EU SFS
• Code of conduct on Responsible Food Business and Marketing practices
• New genomic techniques
• Official Controls Regulation guidance

NEWS: 12/12/2022

Názov: Animal protein outlook for 2023.

Some key points are below:

• Europe : Production will come under pressure for all species, on disease risks, market and regulatory-driven changes, and reduced exports. Consumption is expected to hold steady, with poultry benefiting while pork and beef will decline slightly.
• US : Beef will contract as the US cycle turns and enters a multiyear decline, and poultry will expand on strong demand, despite disease pressure, while pork stabilizes.
• China : Pork production will see marginal growth, with food service restrictions still suppressing demand. Poultry is expected to expand slightly, held back by high costs and uncertainties. Beef will ease.
• Brazil : Beef production will continue to expand, supported by exports. Chicken and pork production are also set for expansion and export gains.
• Southeast Asia : Pork production is expected to recover in Vietnam and the Philippines as ASF risks recede. Poultry production is also expanding, slowly, as demand channels continue to recover.
• Australia [&] New Zealand : Australia’s beef and sheep meat production is expected to expand on the back of herd/flock dynamics. In New Zealand, however, beef and sheepmeat production is expected to decline on market pressure.
• Salmon : A strong retail presence will support prices in 2023, despite weakening macroeconomic fundamentals.
• Shrimp : Supply remains strong, despite lower prices and higher costs. Ecuador and Latin America are expected to continue driving farmed shrimp supply in 2023.
• Fish Meal and Fish Oil : Prices of competing commodities support prices for both, which may ease slightly in 2023.
• Alternative Protein : 2023 will be a year of consolidation. The recent stellar growth of plant-based products is on hold, and investors are shifting focus.

 

• The PECH committee requested a report about Chinese aquaculture and Fisheries to the Research for committees service. It has been published few days ago. This study reviews China’s mariculture and marine fisheries with emphasis on the operations of its Distant Water Fleets (DWF). China’s DWF are analysed with some emphasis on the subsidies they receive from their government, their Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated catches and practices, the challenges they represent to international agreements, and to competing fleets from the EU, particularly in six focal countries, i.e., Mauritania, Senegal, Madagascar, Mauritius, Ecuador and the Solomon Islands. Finally, the trade of Chinese fishery and mariculture products is reviewed with some emphasis on the import of fish feed by China.

NEWS: 14/10/2022

Animal Task Force seminar in Brussels/online

Invitation to register to the 2022 edition of the Animal Task Force seminar. It will take place on the 17 November in Brussels and online.

http://animaltaskforce.eu/ATF-events-2022

NEWS: 14/10/2022

EU Data Strategy - Data Act

The European Data Act is a legislative proposal that intends to complement the European Commission’s data strategy. This strategy is composed of 2 main Acts :

• The Data Governance Act creates the processes and structures to facilitate data sharing by companies, individuals and the public sector
• The Data Act (under discussion at this moment) clarifies who can create value from data and under which conditions

The topic of this year of the FABRE TP challenge session at EAAP- Porto was “Animal Farming 4.0 : the role of Big data in animal Breeding” Attached, you could find the presentation given by Patrick Macjen from the Austrian Chamber of Agriculture. The presentation gives an overview on the EU Data Strategy in animal farming.

A summary of the FABRE TP session is under preparation and will be available very soon.

I would like to remind you that EFFAB is one of the signatories of the Code of Conduct for Data Sharing in Agriculture. It’s available in our website https://www.effab.info/publications/eu-code-of-conduct-on-agricultural-data-sharing-by-contractual-agreement/

NEWS: 11/10/2022

news around breeding and welfare in Insects and aquaculture11/10/2022

• EFFAB is a member of the Aquaculture Advisory Council (AAC), a body funded by the European Commission to collect opinions and recommendations from the Aquaculture sector. Members are Aqua Farmers, NGOs, and other European Associations, such as EFFAB. In January and June 2022 meetings, EFFAB was invited to explain the role of Breeding in Aquaculture and Code EFABAR. At the second meeting, the domestication of aqua species was raised by NGOs. They asked to invite a speaker to talk about this issue. I want to thank EFFAB/FABRE TP members involved in EFFAB and FABRE TP boards, who assisted the council and me in finding a scientist to tackle this issue. Fabrice Teletchea made an exciting presentation around the five levels of domestication and the place and role of animal breeding. You can find the presentation attached.

Eurogroup for animals has published a report about the welfare of insects. You can find it through the link here. It says :

• • Moreover, to be competitive, the insect production industry is also turning to genetic breeding and genetic selection. In fact the industry is candid that its competitiveness is dependent on insects growing bigger and faster. For this reason, industry leaders Ÿnsect, Protix, Beta Bugs and others are all investing in insect genetics. This report argues that genetic manipulation can give rise to new welfare issues in insects as has been the case in the genetic manipulation of vertebrates.
  • Given the impact that selective breeding for production has had upon farmed vertebrate welfare (broilers), limits regarding breeding, or genetically modifying insects to improve production should be set to ensure that modifications are made with the welfare of the insect in mind rather than only for the purpose of production at the expense of the insects’ wellbeing.
  • Octopus farming and welfare are also creating a lot of interest; CIWF has recently published a report presented at the AAC. You can find the report through this link and the presentation attached. There was a call made for a ban on octopus farming. A debate was requested to continue discussing this matter in the presence of more scientific experts.

NEWS: New European Reference Center for Endangered Animal Breed established

10/10/2022

Information from the European Regional focal Point for Animal Genetic Resources :

The consortium led by Wageningen University [&] Research (The Netherlands) alongside with IDELE (France) and BLE (Germany) has been approved for establishing the European Reference Centre for Endangered Animal Breeds. More information here: https://www.wur.nl/en/show/new-european-reference-centre-for-endangered-animal-breeds-established.htm

Attached, a call for manuscripts to the GENRES journal

NEWS: 7/10/2022

Some activities and reports around animal production and research

It’s now almost a tradition that WUR organises the Mansholt lecture in Brussels on the last Wednesday of September. You could find below the link to the publication that inspired the event and the full recording (2h). https://www.wur.nl/en/show/Mansholt-lecture-2022-Nature-Positive-Futures.htm

In June, the French Presidency of the EU organised a full day conference around the role of research in shaping the future of livestock in the EU. The presentations can be found at  https://ptolemee.com/elevage-demain-2022/programme-en.html (sorry for the delay sending it, I thought it was already sent)

For your information, later this month, we will be attending a workshop in Dublin organised by Teagasc and other actors about the role of meat and livestock in our society (19-20 October) We were invited to join. https://www.teagasc.ie/food/research-and-innovation/research-areas/food-quality-and-sensory-science/meat-technology/international-meat-summit/

SCAR CWG on Sustainable Animal Production organises a meeting in Bonn on the 18-19 October to draft a contribution to the development of a common vision of European livestock production.: Attached the invitation and agenda. Physical attendance is limited to CWG SAP members and their guests. We have registered for the online attendance. You can register before the 13 October through https://weta.idloom.events/scar-sap-workshop

"EFFAB-FABRE TP NEWSLETTER Summer 2022"

NEWS: 19/7/2022

The EU livestock Voice members attended a debate at the European Parliament on cultivated meat. You can find a summary of the debate attached, drafted by one of our colleagues at the ELV in Brussels. Most of the presentations are also available attached, including one of the EC on the legal aspects. Another summary of the exchanges through this link in a specialised media.

In addition, a full interview with Frédéric Leroy has been published. You can follow the link to Spotify to listen it  https://open.spotify.com/episode/1yheXK7JMj0k33PHdUNPsp?si=pmB_c2sNTBORF5EFc38Ofg[&]nd=1 and a short introduction through in Twitter https://twitter.com/death_thegarden/status/1548837286032207872 Frédéric was the keynote speaker at the EFFAB and FABRE TP Annual meeting in Evora (May 2022) and he has created, with other scientists, a blog about animal sourced products. https://aleph-2020.blogspot.com/ you can also follow it in Twitter https://twitter.com/aleph2020

Recently, South Africa and France has banned the use of meat sales denomination to plant based products imitating those ones with animal sourced products. You can find these news through the following links :

- https://meatthefacts.eu/home/activity/beyond-the-headlines/south-africa-bans-meaty-denominations-for-plant-based-foods/

- https://meatthefacts.eu/home/activity/beyond-the-headlines/following-south-africa-france-bans-meat-designations-for-plant-based-products/ (in EN)

- https://www.carnisostenibili.it/come-il-sud-africa-anche-la-francia-vieta-il-meat-sounding/ (in IT)

- https://realidadganadera.es/despues-de-sudafrica-francia-prohibe-las-designaciones-de-carne-para-productos-de-base-vegetal/ (in ES)

NEWS:

13/06/2022  US call to reduce methane

The US foundation for Food and Agriculture research has launched a call for proposals that mitigates enteric methane emissions in one or more of the following areas ; nutrition and management strategies, genetic approaches and phenotyping strategies; rumen microbiome research; or sensing and data technology.

https://foundationfar.org/grants-funding/opportunities/greener-cattle-initiative-request-for-applications/

The Greener Cattle Initiative welcomes applications from all domestic and international higher education institutions, non-profit and for-profit organizations and government-affiliated research agencies.

Pre-application is mandatory and need to be done before 22 June. Full call can be found at https://1r0ixf4416603ktoc7u7n6pe-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/2022-Greener-Cattle-Initiative-RFA-FINAL.pdf

NEWS 11/05/2022 Gene Editing novinky z Veľkej Británie

Some additional news related to GE regulatory approach in UK. A reported on Monday ; Gene editing in Plants AND Animals was yesterday part of the Queen’s speech.

• https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/gene-editing-of-animals-and-plants-to-get-go-ahead-lbbk6r58r
• https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/queens-speech-2022-agriculture-the-natural-environment-and-animal-welfare/

There have been some reactions to :

• https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-queens-speech/?msclkid=41b0742dd10411eca8c8c0ec84ab4ca8 in which we can found the reaction of Bruce Whitelaw (new director at Roslin Institute) “This Bill will keep UK agriculture at the forefront – through our pioneering research base in plants and animals.”
• Gene editing of animals and plants to get green light | The Independent
• https://royalsociety.org/news/2022/05/response-queens-speech-2022/
• https://www.scotsman.com/country-and-farming/science-and-farming-welcome-for-queens-speech-3688309
• A few words in one Brussels media today : He (Prince Charles) also delivered the government’s plans for a bill to move away from restrictive EU rules on gene editing in farming. The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill would “unlock the potential of new technologies to promote sustainable and efficient farming and food production,” the prince said. The government wants to allow the development and marketing of precision-bred plants and animals, so crops can be more disease-resistant, for example. The bill would help to drive economic growth and position the U.K. as the leading country in which to invest in agri-food research and innovation, he said. The speech, which formally opens the new session of parliament, presented 38 bills in total and details all the legislation the government wants to enact in the coming year.

4/4/2022

Názov: Avoid the use of antibiotics in animals, without exceptions - draft of  Veterinary medicines Regulation

You may remember the motion introduced by a MEP at the EU Parliament related to the use of veterinary medicines and in special, the use of antibiotics. The motion intended to avoid the use of some antibiotics in animals, without exceptions. As we already explained, the use of AB in farmed animals has been reduced already and will continue in coming years. EFFAB and the European Livestock Voice supports reduction on the use of AB and a responsible use of them. (cf email sent in Sept)

A draft of one of the implementing acts under the Veterinary medicines Regulation will be published very soon and we expect again some reactions at the EP. For this reason, the ELV has prepared and published in the website an article around the use of AB in farmed animals in EU. You could find it at this LINK . Selective breeding is mentioned to be part of the preventive measures to respond to the challenge of reducing the use of AB in animal farming.

We have tweeted and posted in LinkedIn too. Don’t hesitate to like and share.

• https://twitter.com/LivestockVoice/status/1509869686242131972
• https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6916735773014683648/?actorCompanyId=10871980

NEWS: 5/4/2022

IPCC report on climate change

Below, an article from Politico published today about the last report from IPCC with recommendations for mitigation.

• The link to the IPCC report press release
• The link to the report, that you should have already seen in conventional media.
• And the reaction from UN.

5 takeaways from UN report on how world can still stop climate change

The world can avoid the worst consequences of climate change, but emissions need to peak by 2025, the U.N.’s climate science panel said in a major new report on Monday.

“We are at a crossroads. The decisions we make now can secure a liveable future,” said Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Chair Hoesung Lee.

It was a familiarly stark report card on the world’s progress on cutting emissions from the IPCC, which has been monitoring climate change since 1988. Despite the panel’s regular reports about the consequences of burning fossil fuels, between 1990 and 2019 global emissions rose 54 percent and they are still rising.

This latest report looks at mitigation — or what the world can do to stop pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. It’s the third chapter in the IPCC’s mammoth sixth assessment report, part of a series of studies that summarize the state of climate science and the planet released roughly every seven years.

Although there’s a broad concensus on the science of climate change, that’s not the case with politics. The report’s release was delayed thanks to a brutal fight over the wording in the summary — the bit that is most easily understood by the media and the public — led by India and Saudi Arabia, according to one researcher.

Despite that scrap, the takeaway remains constant — there is no hope of stopping global warming at the Paris Agreement limits of 1.5 or 2 degrees without a radical reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and electrifying many of the things that currently run on fossil fuels. That could mean up to $4 trillion worth of coal, oil and gas infrastructure could become worthless by the middle of the century, the report said.

But that’s a difficult argument to make as Europeans scramble to find new sources of oil and gas to end its dependency on Russia and the U.S. and others eye ramping up their production to fill the gap.

“Investing in new fossil fuels infrastructure is moral and economic madness,” said U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres. “Such investments will soon be stranded assets — a blot on the landscape, and a blight on investment portfolios.”

Here are five key messages from the final report.

1. Halting at 1.5 degrees will be decided in Beijing

Stopping warming at the lower 1.5-degree limit of the Paris Agreement is a pipe dream unless emissions peak in the coming three years and fall by almost half from 2019 levels by 2030, the scientists said. Even 2 degrees becomes unlikely without a peak by 2025.

Although the report doesn’t single out any country, China is responsible for almost one-third of annual emissions and can do more than any other nation to make 1.5 degrees possible, according to several experts and diplomats consulted by POLITICO.

Currently, China’s emissions are slated to grow until sometime “before 2030.” Its coal consumption is only planned to begin to drop after 2026.

The EU, the U.S. and the U.K. have all piled pressure on Beijing in the past year to commit to a firm peaking date close to the middle of the decade. On Monday, U.S. climate envoy John Kerry said countries “with targets not yet aligned with a 1.5-degree trajectory must increase their ambition.” China’s response has been that other big emitters like the EU and U.S. — which have huge past emissions but where pollution is falling — should do more, faster.

But China’s influence on emissions is so large that it tends to dictate the trajectory. Between 2019 and 2021, total CO2 emissions from outside China fell by 570 million tons, but China’s emissions grew by 750 million tons and drove annual emissions to their highest level ever in 2021, according to the International Energy Agency. An average Chinese citizen now produces more CO2 emissions than a European — although far less than an American.

But there has been “no sign” that China’s government intends to shift the country’s policy, said Byford Tsang, a senior policy adviser with the E3G think tank.

2. Capturing carbon is a must

Countries will also have to extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to keep global warming in check.

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) — which encompasses methods ranging from natural processes like planting trees to technological solutions like direct air capture — is “unavoidable” to reach net-zero emissions, the authors said. Sequestering CO2 would counterbalance “hard-to-abate” emissions from sectors like aviation or agriculture.

But CDR doesn’t come without side effects, the scientists acknowledge, and the effectiveness and feasibility of existing methods varies greatly. The only method currently deployed at scale — reforestation — is vulnerable to reversal, threatened by logging and wildfires, and could impact food production if trees replace crops.

Other methods, like tech to suck carbon out of the air or intervening in marine systems to boost the sequestration potential of oceans, are less vulnerable to reversal and don’t pose the same land issues, but most are in their infancy.

Some of those techniques would allow the extended use of fossil fuels, which is why they are backed by industry and extracting countries, but the idea is strongly opposed by climate campaigners.

Even mentions in the report of “speculative technologies that prolong the use of fossil fuels” indicate it had been “water[ed] down” by governments in the final approval process, said Nikki Reisch, director of the climate and energy program at the Center for International Environmental Law.

3. Failure to act means tough choices in the future

The scientists earmarked the years by which the world must reach net-zero emissions of all greenhouse gases.

The IPCC said 1.5 degrees required hitting net-zero CO2 by 2050-2055. But for all other greenhouse gases (which include methane, nitrogen oxides and f-gases) it gave a surprising range, saying that if efforts accelerate rapidly in the next few years, they could continue to be emitted at low and decreasing levels until 2100, long after previous estimates.

If there is a failure to make that change in the coming few years, then humanity will face a choice: Accept that warming will stabilize at a higher mark such as 1.6 or 1.7 degrees or try to cool the planet back down through the massive use of CDR. Neither are good options as both mean greater damage from floods, storms, fires, extreme heat and rising seas, the IPCC said in February.

“The choices available to us are no longer ideal,” said Kristina Dahl, a principal climate scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, an NGO.

4. Governments need to help people cut consumption

The world needs to slash its overall energy consumption, something that has the potential to deliver “significant” emissions cuts, the scientists write.

For governments, that means investment in tech-based solutions for more energy efficiency and infrastructure improvements to nudge people toward greener options — as well as the politically thorny business of getting people to change their habits, like shifting to a plant-based diet.

The scientists said actions taken at the individual level could “rapidly” cut emissions from the residential, commercial, industrial and transport sectors — which dominate global emissions. But they placed the onus on governments to play their part by implementing policies that enabled or nudged citizens toward choices that are good for the climate.

“Many people care,” said Linda Steg, an author and expert in the psychology of climate change from the University of Groningen. “Yet they may face barriers to act, which can be removed by actions, for example, by industry, businesses and governments.”

The authors outline a win-win situation — a world with insulated housing that helps people keep cool or warm and with compact cities requiring less commuting and more street space for cycling and walking isn’t just better for the planet, but also human wellbeing, they write. Whether that argument will convince European governments — currently reluctant to call on their citizens to use less fuel and energy even with a war next door — remains to be seen.

5. Batteries are the answer for clean vehicles

The scientists back electric vehicles as the best option for making deep cuts to road emissions. Some automakers still tout hydrogen and synthetic fuels, principally as it will allow the continued sale of combustion engine models. But the report is clear that such fuel options, at present limited in commercial scale, are better suited to ships and planes where the weight of batteries makes it difficult to shift to electric.

“Electric vehicles powered by low emissions electricity offer the largest decarbonisation potential for land-based transport,” the scientists agreed, adding that “electrification could play a niche role for aviation and shipping for short trips.” The EU is currently considering a total ban on sales of new combustion engine cars and vans from 2035.

Those goals are helped by shifts in commuting and homeworking patterns, as well as more efficient industrial supply chains and the gradual deployment of automated cars, the IPCC said.

NEWS: 21/2/2022

FACCE ERA-GAS 3rd Research Programme Meeting and stakeholder-led workshop on R[&]I for transformative change

Dear all,

The FACCE- EraGas research programme are performing a webinar next week. You can register and attend too. The objectives of the 2 half day webinar are to explore what key learnings the research projects co-funded by FACCE ERA-GAS have for policy, research and practice to achieve climate action. And reflect on how R[&]I can be leveraged for transformative change and co-delivery of climate targets.

For Draft agenda and register follow this link: https://www.eragas.eu/en/eragas/2016-Call/3rd-Research-Programme-Meeting.htm

NEWS: 23/11/2021

Názov:Genetic Resources Strategy for Europe

As announced previously this month, the European Genetic resources strategy for plants, animals and forestry will be officially launched on the 30 Nov morning in Brussels. You can register to attend online. http://www.genresbridge.eu/registration-form/online-attendance

More information by here http://www.genresbridge.eu/resources/publications

In addition :

• The recorded webinar organised on the 12^th Nov can be found within http://www.genresbridge.eu/index.php?id=30
• And the full strategy within this link below : http://www.genresbridge.eu/fileadmin/templates/Genres/Uploads/Documents/GRS4E.pdf

Register now for the next #BreedersTalkGreen webinar:
WHAT'S NEXT IN ANIMAL BREEDING?
Monday 6th December 2021 from 14.00 – 15.30On behalf of EFFAB and FABRE-TP, we are happy to invite you to save the date for the fifth session of the #BreedersTalkGreen webinar series focusing on what's next in Animal Breeding. The webinar will take place on Monday 6th December 2021 from 14:00 to 15:30 CET.

The impact of human activities on the planet and the right to access healthy food pose several different challenges to the global food system. These challenges require us to reduce food waste, produce healthier and more sustainable food whilst using fewer natural resources and respecting the environment. Meeting this urgent demand requires sustainable and responsible improvements to farmed animals. Animal breeding and genetics offer unique opportunities to positively contribute to these challenges.

Terrestrial and aquatic farmers and society need solutions to create a more sustainable animal farming sector. We think that animal genetic improvement is a core part of the solution and the pathway for improvement of farming sectors – from conventional to organics. Breeders and farmers need better tools and information on farmed animals to make informed breeding decisions and more balanced and precise selection for desired traits that are essential for sustainability.

But, what are these tools, and how can we use them?

EFFAB and FABRE TP members, would like to engage in discussion about the ongoing research activities in the European Animal Breeding sector and provide an answer to these societal challenges.

We hope to see you at our next session. Sign up today to secure your virtual spot.

The speaker list will be announced shortly.

NEWS: 18/11/2021

ATF policy brief on the role of livestock in biodiversity and healthy soils

Dear all,

As you know, every year, the Animal Task Force AGM choose a topic to work and engage with scientists, EU stakeholders and policy makers. We organise a session at EAAP on this topic and a seminar in Brussels.

The 2020 topic was “What livestock has to offer to Biodiversity and healthy soils” . Attached, you could find the policy brief around this topic that should be published very soon.

The 2021 topic is about “Feed and Food competition”. The 2021 seminar in Brussels will take place tomorrow. You can still register to follow it online using this link. In the afternoon, we have planned a session to communicate around some EU projects http://animaltaskforce.eu/Events/ATF-FEFAC-H2020-projects-Stakeholder-event

ATF upcoming events
Registration to both events until 17 November 2021 at 18:00 CET!

Please note that the day will end with a farewell event to thank Vivi H. Nielsen (Aarhus University and former ATF Vice-President representing knowledge providers), Jean-Louis Peyraud (INRAE and former ATF President) and Martin Scholten (WUR and former ATF President) for their involvement within the Animal Task Force during their respective mandates.

https://mailchi.mp/f339c3fc4819/animal-task-force-seminar2021-14811518?e=1b1d23b47f

Join us on our next webinar!
13 October, 11:30-12:30 via Zoom

A lot is said about the role livestock plays in our food systems, and the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies have been driving debates on what sustainable food systems and food production should look like in the future.

The strategies propose ambitious EU actions and targets to accelerate the transition to a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system, while preserving food affordability and generating fairer economic returns.
But these proposals have raised many questions and generated several studies which look at their potential impact on our food systems, both within and outside the EU.

Join our Dialogue between Scientists and an MEP to discuss findings from some of these impact analyses ahead of the upcoming vote in the European Parliament.

Questions to be discussed include:
• Despite differing methodologies of these independent studies, what are the common trends and where does the research agree?
• Is further research on impacts required, and in what areas?
• How do policy makers perceive these studies and what can they learn from them?
Speakers:
• Prof. Christian Henning, Kiel University
• Prof. Roel Jongeneel, Wageningen University and Research
• MEP Anne Sander, AGRI Committee

Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_YnUKFV5JRcKqyx9lj5G5Og

Attachment: App.02e_ATF_Policy brief nov 2021_V3

NEWS: 7/9/2021

SAVE THE DATE: DISARM webinar: Breeding for Resilience - 28 September 2021

In collaboration with COPA – COGECA and the DISARM project we are organising a webinar on the role of Animal Breeding to reduce the use of Antibiotics in farmed animals.

The webinar will focus on the achievements and potential of animal breeding programs to improve resistance to animal diseases, robustness, and resilience of farmed animals. The webinar will also present how these strategies reduce the need of using antibiotics and decrease antimicrobial resistance.

When? - Tuesday 28th September 2021, 10:00 - 12:00 (CET)

How to register? – via this formular by 23rd September (link to join will be sent prior the meeting, together with the agenda)

Online event: Microsoft Teams (English only)

Please share this invitation with your network of farmers to join and share their experiences

Draft program :

10:00	Opening remarks by Copa and Cogeca (5’)
10:05	Presentation about EFFAB (10’) : Ana Granados
10:15	Introduction about the DISARM project (10’)
10:25	Presentations by: (10’ each)
	Irish Farmer (TBC)
	Breeding strategies in Dairy cattle to reduce the use of AB (Lars Peter Sørensen; Viking Genetics)
	The role of epigenetics information to improve resilience in monogastrics: examples from the GEroNIMO project : Tatiana Zerjal
10:55	Q[&]A, moderated by Ana Granados (EFFAB) and Paula de Vera (Copa-Cogeca) (60’)
11:55	Closing remarks (5’)

NEWS 25/08/2021

State of play of the revision of the feed ban for non ruminants

Following the positive vote from the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed at the EC with Members States and the approval by the European Parliament and the Council, the Commission has published the new regulation allowing the use of animal protein derived from pigs, poultry and insects and the gelatine and collagen from ruminants on the 18th August.

You could find the Communication from the EC within this link and the new regulation 2021/1372 through this other one.

The EU regulation 2021/1372 authorises the following uses:
• processed animal protein derived from pigs and insects in poultry feed;
• processed animal protein derived from poultry and insect in pig feed;
• gelatine and collagen of ruminant origin in the feed of non-ruminant farmed animals

The new regulation has been reported in AGRI media in Brussels :

The Commission insists that the Regulation 2021/1372 (published Aug 18), includes “strict conditions … to prevent cross-contamination, ensure compliance with the prohibition of intra-species recycling (i.e. cannibalism), [&] facilitate official controls.” Officials insist that the reasons for the original ban of 2001 have now been resolved, with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) “fully under control.” The last case was found in 2016. The restructuring of the feed industry means that “correct [&] proper separation of species can now be ensured,” they add, also pointing out that laboratory test methods are now available. The bloc will still have the “most severe feed ban provisions in the world,” the Commission insists. The change is based on an opinion from EFSA [&] endorsed by the European Parliament, Council [&] the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food [&] Feed (PAFF). EU Health [&] Food Safety Commissioner Stella Kyriakides called the revised rules “another small step in our journey towards more sustainable feed chain.”

UECBV welcomes “science-based” change: The Livestock [&] Meat Trade Union (UECBV) described the “reopened recycling of animal proteins in the feed chain” as an “important step in a factual [&] science-based preparation of the evidence base.” The umbrella body also highlighted the “further development of control mechanisms,” in a statement issued on Aug 18 to welcome the publication of the amending regulation. UECBV points out that "an estimated 100 000 tonnes of former foodstuffs containing ruminant collagen [&]/or gelatine go yearly for disposal in the Union," because they can't be used under the current rules. It describes processed animal proteins as "an excellent feed material, with high concentration of highly digestible nutrients such as amino acids [&] phosphorous,” [&] a high content in vitamins. Reauthorising the use of the proteins, the Brussels-based group explains, will reduce the EU's dependence on imports of protein from third countries

NEWS: 09/08/2021

Genome Editing - policy options in EU

The think tank Re-IMAGINE Europa has recently published a white paper on the regulation of genome Editing in Agriculture, following the publication of the EU report in April 2021. One of the main outputs of the White paper, is that “an ideal regulatory system should be clear in its scope and implementation, adaptable to advances in scientific understanding, proportional to risks, and it would be enforceable, harmonised as broadly as possible and would be non-discriminatory towards stakeholders”. It’s attached.

The paper is focused on crops to show policy options for next steps in EU for the plant sector.

 

NEWS: 30/07/2021

The commission has announced first trade agreement with 3^rd countries integrating animal welfare conditions (Mercosur).

https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/eu-implements-first-animal-welfare-based-condition-in-trade-agreement/

NEWS: 15/07/2021

Genome Editing in Humans : WHO recommendations

Dear members,

You will remember that WHO established in Dec 2018 an expert advisory committee (the Expert Advisory Committee on Developing Global Standards for Governance and Oversight of Human Genome Editing) to examine the scientific, ethical, social and legal challenges associated with human genome editing (somatic, germline and heritable). This committee was settled after the announcement of CRISPR-cas9 use to modify genome of human embryos in China. The researcher was sentenced to 3 years in jail for illegal medical practice.

2 years later the World Health Organisation has published 2 documents aiming to provide advice and recommendations on appropriate institutional, national, regional and global governance mechanisms for human genome editing. A position paper on human genome editing provides a summary of these two publications.

• Governance framework : good practices in the governance of emerging technologies, and specifically regarding to human genome editing. The governance framework, which can be implemented in different contexts, is intended to help those tasked with strengthening oversight measures, regardless of whether this is at the institutional, national, regional or international level. The governance framework identifies values and principles that help explain why governance measures may be needed and how those charged with reviewing or strengthening governance measures may undertake such a task. It reviews a set of tools, institutions and processes and puts forward seven scenarios to demonstrate how the various components of the governance framework come together in practice. The governance framework identifies a number of considerations for the successful implementation of oversight and governance measures for human genome editing.
• The second document provides Recommendations in nine discrete areas: 1. Leadership by the WHO and its Director-General; 2. International collaboration for effective governance and oversight; 3. Human genome editing registries; 4. International research and medical travel; 5. Illegal, unregistered, unethical or unsafe research and other activities; 6. Intellectual property; 7. Education, engagement and empowerment; 8. Ethical values and principles for use by WHO and 9. Review of the recommendations.

New report highlights benefits of organic farming for biodiversity

BRUSSELS, 19 JULY 2021 – A new report by IFOAM Organics Europe highlights the contribution of organic farming to protecting Europe’s biodiversity. The report recommends Member States to fully use Eco-schemes and agro-environmental measures in their CAP Strategic Plans to maximise the contribution of organic farmers to the objectives of the EU Biodiversity Strategy and the new CAP.

Lead author Nic Lampkin, from Organic Policy, Business and Research Consultancy, states: “Member States should explicitly recognise the opportunities for biodiversity conservation and enhancement underpinned by organic farming in their CAP Strategic Plans, rural development programmes and national organic action plans. And the Commission should recognise that organic farming does deliver biodiversity benefits in the context of Eco-schemes, but also conduct a comprehensive assessment during the design of CAP Strategic Plans of how national governments will support biodiversity objectives through organic payments and additional AECM payments.”

Bruce Pearce, from Fearann Consulting, adds: “There is now a substantial body of research evidence that demonstrates the positive impacts of organic farming on biodiversity in Europe. The biodiversity benefits delivered by organic farming are a consequence both of the practices prohibited under organic regulations, such as the use of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers, herbicides and most pesticides and fungicides, as well as the agroecological practices adopted by organic farmers to solve production issues without them. The EU has set an ambitious target for the expansion of organic farming to 25% of agricultural land area by 2030 as part of its Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies intended to deliver on the EU Green Deal. Achieving this will also contribute to the pesticide, fertiliser and antibiotic reduction targets, and to the nature restoration targets.”

Eric Gall, IFOAM Organics Europe’s Policy Manager, states: “By supporting organic farming in their CAP Strategic Plans, Member States have a powerful tool to ensure that their national agriculture policy will start to address the collapse of our biodiversity, which has been a reality in the European countryside for decades. Conventional farmers should be incentivised to transition to organic farming, and organic farmers should be properly rewarded for the public goods they deliver by producing quality food while protecting nature. Increased support to organic farming is a smart public policy tool to ensure that the next CAP will contribute to the EU Green Deal and to the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies targets on biodiversity and nature protection, but also pesticide, fertiliser and antibiotic reduction.”

Dear all,

If you are interested to join the Pre- Food systems summit, the FSS Secretariat has opened registration for the Pre Summit scheduled for July 26-28.  

UN Food Systems Summit | Pre-Summit - Registration

I have registered. We, with the Animal Task Force and the EU livestock Voice, have foreseen a number of meetings ahead of the pre-summit and summit to push animal science to be taken into account during the decision making process. The EC is contributing too with the Farm to fork strategy objectives. One of the actions the EC intends to do for the summit is the international launch of the EU code of conduct for responsible food business. (I will send a separate email about)

I would like to recommend (if not already done) to participate in the side events organised at the national level before both events.

If you have any comment, don’t hesitate to contact us.

For aqua – members : FEAP (aquaculture producers) has joined the EU livestock Voice in June 2021.

NEWS: 28/06/2021

An article published in June about the future of cultured meat and animal farming and reported in some food related journals. https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/The--clean-meat--revolution-is-coming

28/06/2021

The European AGRIFISH Council has approved today the reform of CAP (common agriculture policy) ;  one of the most important and old common policy at the EU level. You can find below the link to the press release, giving some details of this reform that has taken more time than expected with a lot of discussion between the new European Parliament, Timmermans and the EC promising a greener CAP under the context of the EU Green Deal, the members States, NGOs and farmers.

https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2021/06/28/farming-ministers-confirm-cap-reform-deal/?utm_source=dsms-auto[&]utm_medium=email[&]utm_campaign=Farming+ministers+confirm+CAP+reform+deal

If you wish to read more details, you could find attached the AGRA FACTS news with more details and reactions from farming related organisations and NGOs.

NEWS: 21/06/2021

We are happy to share with you the program for the fourth session of the #BreedersTalkGreen webinar series focusing on Genetic Diversity and Responsible Animal Breeding. The webinar will take place on Thursday 1st July, 2021 from 13:30 to 15:00 CET.

During the webinar, we will hear presentations from FAO, the European Regional Focal Point for Animal Genetic Resources  and poultry and aquaculture breeders and engage in fruitful debate with additional panellists. Questions are also more than welcome from attendees before and during the session. Send your questions to us by replying back to this email.

End of cages in EU - resolution of the EP to the EC

The plenary session of the European Parliament has voted today in favour (558 votes in favour and 37 against) of a resolution asking the EU Commission to come up with legislative proposals to ban cages in animal farming by 2027. Main points of the resolution are that (1) alternatives to cage farming exist and should be encouraged. (2) Ban has to be based on impact assessment and species-by-species approach. This is an important point in which we have been working with the EU livestock group. (3) Farmers and livestock breeders will have a transition period and proper support and (4) imports of animal products have to fully comply with EU rules on cage-free. A call to stop forced feeding for foie gras production has also been asked. And below the Press release. EFSA is working on a scientific opinion about.

25/05/2021 Annual General Meeting
Agenda - FABRE-TP 2021

27/05/2021 Annual General Meeting
EFFAB - Agenda and Registration

06/05/2021

PRESS RELEASE
“FOOD AND FARMING: WHAT FUTURE FOR EUROPE?”
Does the Farm to Fork strategy offer more opportunities or obstacles for the European agri-food system?

Rome - Brussels, 06 May 2021 - The live stream meeting, "Food and Farming: what future for Europe?" was held yesterday afternoon. This  deep-dive into the Farm to Fork Strategy promoted by Eunews in collaboration with Carni Sostenibili and European Livestock Voice served as an open dialogue between policy makers and the livestock value chain following the launch of the video appeal, "The 9 paradoxes of the Farm to Fork". The European livestock sector is keen to forge a constructive dialogue with the EU institutions to ensure greater involvement in the legislative process for the strategy intended to guide EU agri-food policies in the coming decades.

"Our post-Covid-19 future will not – and must not – be simply 'let’s go back to business as usual'. Each actor will have to play their role to successfully achieve the transition to sustainable food systems. Livestock is an essential sector of EU agriculture and is part of the solution, and I count on this sector to pursue its efforts towards sustainable production in line with the objectives of the Green Deal." - said Claire Bury, Deputy Director General DG SANTE of the European Commission, who participated in the debate.

Luigi Scordamaglia, President of Assocarni and Italian representative for the Carni Sostenibili Association, spoke precisely on the risks and opportunities of the Farm to Fork strategy. "An extraordinary opportunity” - notes Scordamaglia – “but also a risk, namely that this green transition is not guided by an objective and rational approach, based on numbers and data, but is conditioned by ideological approaches and this would transform an opportunity into a defeat for producers but also for European consumers”. Concerning sustainability, which is increasingly the focal point in which the debate gets heated, President Scordamaglia recalled: "To those who think that one becomes sustainable by returning to using a wooden plough, I would like to point out that the results in sustainability achieved in Italy derive from being the second country in the world in the use of robotics and in the automation of the food sector. We are the eighth economy in the world for GDP, but only the third from last regarding CO2 emissions. This is the path to sustainability that we want". - concluded Scordamaglia.

“I believe that the Farm to Fork strategy proposed by the Commission for agri-food chains is of high value due to the effective involvement of both consumers and operators. However, we must assess the impacts of this strategy principally from an economic and social perspective: this is important for citizens and especially for operators who are committed to guaranteeing accessibility to and affordability of food" declared Herbert Dorfmann, MEP, AGRI Committee, reiterating that “a scientific approach is essential to sustainability”.

On distant but not diametrically opposed positions MEP Jytte Guteland, from the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists [&] Democrats stressed the need for a change of pace also in the livestock sector in view of sustainability objectives. According to the MEP, the sector has not yet achieved this. “With regard to the Farm to Fork strategy there is a lot of sensitivity, but it should be recalled that we are going through a historic period with the Green Deal which represents a fundamental step for future generations. The direction on sustainability must be clear” - said Guteland – “although much has been done, there is still work to be done, but we can achieve our goals. Farmers today are the real heroes of everyday life because food is the source of life. However, we need a sustainable future for this sector, a new direction for Europe in the distribution of incentives that must be destined above all to those farmers who decide to orient practices towards sustainability". And she concluded, “In summary we can say that farmers are not part of the problem but part of the solution”.

Finally, Pekka Pesonen, Copa - Cogeca Secretary General, who spoke on behalf of European Livestock Voice, the Association that brings together the European Livestock value chain associations, recalled the commitment in terms of sustainability of animal husbandry, underlining its economic value. Today, in fact, the sector represents about 40% of the entire European agricultural sector for a value of 170 billion Euro with 4 million employees. "What we need” - concluded Pesonen – “is for the European Union to implement policies that allow the agricultural sector to make the necessary changes to maintain our European de-centralized  model of agriculture, a model that would sustain world-known culinary heritage, contribute to the wider economy in rural areas, support circularity and respond to the future expectations of consumers.”

Note to the Editors

European Livestock Voice is a multi-stakeholder group of like-minded EU partners united to return a balanced debate about a sector that is playing such an essential role in Europe’s rich heritage and future. The associations represent sectors ranging from animal health to feed, from breeding and animal farming to farmers; together they aim to inform the public about the social value of livestock production and its contribution to global challenges, offering another perspective in the ongoing debates.

Association Carni Sostenibili is a non-profit association that represents all the production chains dedicated to the processing and transformation of Italian meat (beef, pork and poultry), with the aim of promoting sustainable production and conscious consumption of meat and cured meats. Founded in 2012, the association has created a digital communication platform, supported by the publication of studies and research, to promote correct scientific information and its divulgation, regarding the environmental, economic and social sustainability of the entire meat supply chain.

This event was also supported by Somos Ganaderia.

For further information, please contact: European Livestock Voice                               Florence Ranson florence@red-comms.eu +32 (0) 477 49 26 90 Association Carni Sostenibili Elena Giacchino elenagiacchino1@gmail.com +39 340 26 82 776

30/4/2021

EFFAB-FABRE TP press release on the EC study on NGTs

EFFAB and FABRE TP have reacted to the publication of the EC study on NGTs. You could find it on our website and social media.

The report is quite positive for plants. EC says that safety data is available for plants and need to be generated in animals. The report from the GM labs on the detection methods is lacking too. Below are the next steps considered by the EC and addressed in the letter that the Commission sent to the presidency of the council. Now the council has to agree with. Next steps have to be considered at the national level to influence the Council decision. A first technical meeting will be held on Monday between the EC and the EU council.

“The  Council  also  requested  the  Commission  to submit  a  proposal  (accompanied  by  an impact assessment), if appropriate in view of the outcomes of the study, or otherwise to inform the Council on other measures required as a follow-up to the study. The Commission considers that action needs to be taken in the field of NGTs, to address the  current  challenges  that  were  at  the  origin  of  the  Council  request,  and  are  further confirmed  by  the  study.  Action  in  this  field  can  also  contribute  to  the  objectives  of  the Green Deal and Farm to Fork strategy and to a more competitive economy, which are at the centre of current priorities of the EU. Based  on  the  information  available  and  the  outcome  of  the  study,  the  Commission  has concluded that there is sufficient evidence and scientific basis to initiate a targeted policy action on plants derived from certain new genomic techniques (targeted mutagenesis and cisgenesis). The  Commission  therefore  intends  to  initiate  a policy  action  on  plants  derived  from targeted mutagenesis and cisgenesis, which will entail carrying out an impact assessment. For  other  organisms  (animals  and  microorganisms)  and  other  new  genomic  techniques, the  Commission  intends  to  continue  to  build  up  the  required  scientific  knowledge,  in view of possible further policy actions. These other organisms will remain, at this stage, subject to the current GMO legal framework.

Join our event! Food And Farming: What future for Europe? 05 May

24/3/2021

The European livestock sector will present on the 25^th of March at 11.00 am "The 9 paradoxes of Farm to Fork", a call to actively participate in the current sustainability challenge to develop and implement an effective and adequate Farm to Fork strategy for Europe. Born from an initiative of Carni Sostenibili and European Livestock Voice, the series of videos will launch simultaneously in 7 European countries and languages: Belgium, Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Portugal and Poland.

The videos highlight the fact that despite good intentions, the Farm to Fork strategy does not take into consideration the actual situation and challenges of the livestock sector. They reflect the will of the whole chain to be actively involved in the great green transition process, now in progress (please see the press release and the other pieces attached to this email for more details).

With our partners at the EU livestock Voice, EFFAB will be active in Twitter ahead of the 25.03 and during the event using hashtags #F2FParadoxes #MeatTheFacts. You can also share/ tweet about the launch and later about the videos themselves.

12/3/2021

The EC has launched a public consultation to move on the use of insect protein and non-ruminant protein in poultry and pig feed in EU

As you know, only aquaculture is allowed to use a part of this feed. Attached, the state of play of the rules in EU. EFFAB is intended to contribute with your inputs.

Background : Since the enforcement of a total feed ban, in 2001, the epidemiological situation regarding BSE has considerably improved in the EU. The Farm-to-Fork strategy aims at making a better use of the protein and other feed material produced in Europe, the proposal of the commission should mainly allow the use of insect protein and non-ruminant protein in poultry and pig feed but as already addressed in 2020, there is no consensus within MSs to adopt such proposal.

8/3/2021

EFSA- GE - risk assessment - SDN-1 - SDN-2- SDN-3 plants

-          Applicability of the EFSA Opinion on site‐directed nucleases type 3 for the safety assessment of plants developed using site‐directed nucleases type 1 and 2 and oligonucleotide‐directed mutagenesis : https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/6299

-          outcomes of the public consultation on the Scientific opinion on the applicability of the EFSA opinion on SDN-3 for the safety assessment of plants developed sung SDN-1 and DSND-2 and ODM https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/sp.efsa.2020.EN-1972

25/2/2021

BORIS JOHNSON MAKES PUSH FOR GENE-EDITING IN FARMING: Boris Johnson and his farm minister George Eustice are making a public push to shake up U.K. biotech laws as a symbol of Britain’s new-found freedom from Brussels.

Boris Johnson urged British farmers Tuesday to combine traditional practices with disruptive new technologies like gene editing in a future he said would be “free from the shackles” of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy.

“Now is the time to embrace a new modern age of farming,” the U.K. prime minister told a conference of the National Farmers’ Union in a recorded address.

He called for “bringing together the best of our farming traditions with potentially revolutionary technology, such as gene editing, and of course that goes alongside wanting people to buy more of our unparalleled produce at home and proudly selling more around the world.” The government “won’t compromise” on environmental, food and animal welfare standards, Johnson added.

 

22/2/2021

In the meanwhile, you should remember the study published by the EU JRC and DG Agri from Jean-Louis Peyraud on the “Future of the European Livestock Sector” . Both EU institutions organise un webinar on 9 March afternoon from 14:00 to 17:30 CET (please save the date if you wish to attend). Jean-Louis and Michael will present main lines of the study. It will be followed by a scientific panel and a stakeholders panel. I have tried to propose a scientist from FABRE TP to join the scientific panel but it seems that the draft agenda is already closed for new speakers

You are welcome to register to the workshop here. We would be grateful if you can register online by 4 March at the latest.

 

17/2/2021

FAO has recently published a study called “How to feed the world in times of pandemics and climate change : Innovation opportunities for the livestock sector” .

NEWS: 4. 2. 2021

EFFAB and FABRE TP secretariat are increasing activities to better represent EFFAB and FABRE TP members and to strength the dissemination activities and the role of knowledge provider in EU projects.

On these 2 purposes, we are now searching for a Junior scientist with relevant background in animal breeding and genetics aiming to participate in the work of EFFAB in EU projects but also in policy areas related to Research to increase FABRE TP visibility at the EU level. We have drafted a job offer (attached). If you know somebody that could be interested in such  position, please, don’t hesitate to put him/her in contact with us.

attachment project officer

NEWS: 3.2.2021

3/2/2021

Eurostat has published figures of organic farming production in the EU and a report with (Jan 2021). Some figures related to livestock are in too. Organic farming is slowly increasing in the EU; 8,5 % percent of total agricultural land used for, or undergoing the conversion into, organic farming as of 2019. FYI, one of the non-binding but

Regarding EU aquaculture and fisheries (including Norway and UK), the exercise for the whole sector was made in November 2020.

2/2/2021

The association “No patents on seeds” has launched a petition on this matter https://www.no-patents-on-seeds.org/en/activities/petition until 31 May 2021. They estimate that even if the EPO decided to clarify the prohibition of patents on plants and animals obtained from conventional breeding, “there is no clear legal distinction to technical processes of genetic engineering.”

2/2/2021

Developments on perception from Organics sector and green politicians in Europe about Genome Editing, at least when talking about plants. There is also the ongoing consultation in UK until 17 March on GE. You could find below an article published last week in UK about GE in the Organic sector. Now, the website has given free access to the article.

https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/sourcing/anti-gm-campaigner-urges-organics-to-back-inevitable-gene-editing-launch/652534.article#.YBiDaVhdSCM.linkedin

FYI :

• the number 3 of the series of webinars #BreedersTalkGreen will address the potential of GE in Animal Breeding. The EC has positively answered to our invitation to introduce this session. We will communicate you asap the date, around mid-March.
• we are also currently talking with the EC to organise a meeting for EFFAB/FABRE TP members with the Commission on the outputs of the study that the Commission is currently drafting. As you know the EU Council asked to the EC to submit, by 30 April 2021, a study on the status of new genomic techniques after the ruling of ECJ published in July 2018.

15. 1. 2021

The EC has adopted and published an updated of the guidance document for the implementation of the EU ABS regulation. This document provides more detailed information and practical examples on the scope and users obligations of the ABS Regulation.

On 14 Jan 2021, we have had a meeting with the Commission to better understand this update. Attached, you could find the official publication on 12 January 2021 in the EU Official Journal. And some print screen of examples related to animal breeding that I got at the meeting. I will send the presentations when DG ENVI will make them follow.

Regarding the content of the new guidance document.

• Chapter 2 gives more details on the scope of the legislation. It gives non exhaustive examples. It provides also the scope for research and development.
• Chapter 3 provides the users obligations, including responsibilities of research institutions and of researchers employed.
• Annex II is completely new (page 32) . I will recommend you to take a look at this Annex II, and particularly to chapter and chapter 8.

14. 1. 2021

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) was asked to deliver an opinion on dried yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor larva) as a novel food (NF) pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. The term yellow mealworm refers to the larval form of the insect species Tenebrio molitor. The Panel concludes that the NF is safe under the proposed uses and use levels. According to EU procedures, the European Commission must now submit a draft proposal to the EU Members States in view of authorising the product on the EU market.

08/10/2020

30. 3. 2020

EFSA published early March a press release saying that there is currently no evidence that food is a likely source or route of transmission of the virus. EFSA’s chief scientist, Marta Hugas, said: “Experiences from previous outbreaks of related coronaviruses, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), show that transmission through food consumption did not occur. At the moment, there is no evidence to suggest that coronavirus is any different in this respect.”  https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/news/coronavirus-no-evidence-food-source-or-transmission-route

EFSA gives a link to the BfR website that has updated FAQ on this topic on 23^rd March. https://www.bfr.bund.de/cm/349/can-the-new-type-of-coronavirus-be-transmitted-via-food-and-objects.pdf  

Iowa State university has also published that livestock appears to be safe from Covid 19. https://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2020/03/19/covid19livestock