EDITO
Contents :
Monday, 09 March 2020
According to a report by Farm Futures, there is an increased amount of US beef which will go to the European Union as a result of a duty-free, high quality beef quota agreement. United States Meat Export Federation expert, Thad Lively has said that the lack of grain-fed beef in the market creates a big opportunity, according to the report. Mr Lively added that the quota will provide the opportunity to the highest value end of the market. A deal has been established which states that the EU’s 20% tariff is eliminated and because of this, according to Lively, there is an expectation that over the coming three to five years, the US will be providing approximately 70,000 metric tonnes of beef per year to the EU.
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Monday, 21 September 2009
A new International Fairtrade Towns website has been launched on July 14 by the Fairtrade Foundation with partners across Europe. The new website is aimed at connecting nearly 700 Fairtrade towns in 18 countries, by combining information about the history of Fairtrade Towns internationally, a Google map, the latest news and events, as well as downloadable resources and tools. An interactive social networking section is to be present, where campaigners can share ideas through forums and discussion groups. It's currently available in eight languages and is part of a three-year European Union funded Fairtrade Towns in Europe project launched in 2007.
Wednesday, 16 September 2009
The European Union has pressurised Ghana to sign an economic partnership agreement (EPA) despite civil society concerns being raised about the detrimental effects further trade liberalisation will have on development in the West African country. IPS’s Francis Kokutse fired some questions at Dick Naezer, head of the macro-economic trade section of the European Union delegation in Ghana, to understand why he directed this call at Ghana’s government.
"Food Matters: One Year On” has just been published by the United Kingdom's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (UK DEFRA). The report updates the UK government's efforts on food policy as it relates to health, food safety, the economy, and the environment. It also identifies priorities for the next 12 months. One of the initiatives implemented includes the creation of a Council of Food Policy Advisers to provide advice on the practical measures government should take to create a healthy, sustainable food system.
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Monday, 14 September 2009
The European Commission has earmarked a further €53.475 million, through a series of financing decisions, for expanded humanitarian aid to vulnerable people in Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Chad, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali and Mauritania. The funds are channelled through the Commission's Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO) under the responsibility of Karel De Gucht, Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid.
The United Kingdom's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (UK DEFRA) has released UK Food Security Assessment: Detailed Analysis. This paper details a framework of indicators for assessing UK food security developed through stakeholder engagement and expert input from various Government departments.
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Tuesday, 08 September 2009
The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the European Commission and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU), on August 24th, committing euro 5.9 million to a food facility initiative, in keeping with the Government's food security programme. The MoU was signed by Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton; Head of the EC's Delegation to Jamaica, Ambassador Marco Mazzocchi Alemanni; and FAO representative to Jamaica, The Bahamas and Belize, Dr. Dunstan Campbell. The signing took place at the Ministry in Kingston.
The UK government recently warned that consumers could face huge meat price rises if the EU does not find a more efficient method of approving new GM products. In a joint Defra/FSA statement, the government said the slow rate of EU approvals for GM products and the absence of any tolerance for low levels of unauthorised GM material could seriously hamper UK food and feed imports and ultimately hit retail prices. The UK imports 90% of its soya feed for meat production from Brazil and Argentina, which amounted to three million tonnes in 2007/08.
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Friday, 04 September 2009
This report produced by Concord forms part of the work being undertaken by European development NGOs to monitor and advocate on European aid. It reports that some of the countries deliver aid based on their own priorities and not those of the poor while addressing the symptoms and not the causes - and yet they deliver the majority of the global aid flows. It adds that evidence shows that when aid is delivered well, it has been crucial in improving living conditions of the poor in developing countries.
The Europeans are mounting pressure on African countries to sign the controversial Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). But experts have warned against it. They argued that it favours Europe only and that economic development in Africa must be allowed to kick-off out of internal evolution. But the news filtering out is that the West African sub continent is about to sign the deal.