This deep analysis of what the Commission's CAP proposals mean for environmental and climate action by farmers suggests there will be far less emphasis on these objectives in the next CAP ieep.eu/publications...

Many news media today have picked up this study linking weather extremes with food price spikes by examining individual products and not just aggregate food prices, open access iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1...

This valuable analysis of the instability in the European Parliament by the Jacques Delors Institute one year after the last election and its impact on EU decision-making is well worth reading, very well informed and many useful if unsettling insights institutdelors.eu/en/publicati....

This paper 'Trade aspects of the Strategic Dialogue on the future of the EU agriculture and the impact of trade on the competitiveness and sustainability of European agriculture' for the European Parliament's International Trade Committee may be of interest www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en...

EAFRD fi-compass has published a comprehensive analysis (190 pages) of insurance and risk management tools for EU agriculture, providing recommendations on how to improve access to finance and mitigate climate risks www.fi-compass.eu/library/mark...

EAFRD fi-compass publishes 190-page overview of insurance and risk management tools for EU agriculture, covering climate risks to 2050, EU agricultural insurance schemes and their performance www.fi-compass.eu/library/mark...

As the EU Budget Conference 2025 kicks off, Agora Agriculture outlines policy options for a simpler and more impactful agricultural spending under the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The Commission aspires towards a simpler, more focused budget better delivering on 🇪🇺 policy objectives. 🧵

I look forward to taking part in this Visionary webinar May 30 on the potential for economic instruments to drive sustainability in the dairy sector, details and registration here visionary-project.eu/events/visio...

OECD working paper provides literature review of effectiveness of GHG emissions mitigation measures in AFOLU sector in G20 countries, while also noting negative social and economic effects www.oecd.org/en/publicati...

This is no trade agreement, but only the potential concept of a possible plan for an eventual trade agreement. Both sides are playing each other. The key provision is this: "Both the United States and the United Kingdom recognize that this document does not constitute a legally binding agreement."

The Commission will make a statement on the democratic legitimacy of the GMO authorisation procedure at the May plenary of the European Parliament - explanation of background here www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etud...

The Budget Committee of the European Parliament has prepared its draft report for the EP's position on the next MFF to be voted at the May plenary session. Calls for 'adequate and predictable funding' for the CAP but not necessarily additional funding www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/docume...

Russian ammonia flowing freely through Finland to the European markets. Wagons at the Kouvola railway station this morning.

The political economy of the EU fertiliser market is complex, given the competing interests of farmers and fertiliser producers, and the need for an overall reduction in nitrogen use. I discuss some ideas for a successful transition in this blog post capreform.eu/navigating-e...

The EU's dependence on imports of nitrogenous fertilisers and the increased share of Russia in 2024 are a growing source of concern. My blog post discusses capreform.eu/import-depen...

I am reposting my blog post from Feb 27 on impact of Trump tariffs on EU agrifood exports to US. My analysis still stands, though it seems applying retaliatory tariffs on US spirits is not as simple as I thought capreform.eu/trump-ii-tar...

COPA-COGECA asks Commission to dismiss the various AgETS options presented in Ecologic Institute, IEEP and Trinomincs study published Nov 2023 based on polluter pays principle and instead focus on technological solutions and promotion of voluntary carbon markets

I weigh up pros and cons of merging the CAP with other funds in the MFF and conclude that largely maintaining the status quo is the preferred option capreform.eu/fitting-the-.... Its a long read, but summary is in the Conclusions.

JRC working paper projects EU population changes forward to 2040 by type of region - urban, intermediate and rural, with remote rural regions experiencing both ageing and population decline, chart shows trends by NUTS3 regions joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/jrc-news-and...

Shocking and depressing to read about this @Wageningen University Research how war in Ukraine is damaging its fertile soil with long-term impacts on its potential agricultural productivity www.wur.nl/en/news-wur/...

A University of Reading study lists recommendations for regulatory tools to achieve a healthy and sustainable diet in the UK, notes achieving healthy status requires focus on food environments while sustainability requires focus on changing producer behaviour

Interesting when Carlsberg and Boston Consulting Group make a plea on behalf of the food and drink industry for swift action to accelerate the shift to regenerative agriculture to improve climate resilience and safeguard biodiversity

For those interested in EU agricultural policy, the text 'European Agricultural Policy: History and Analysis' edited by Franco Sotte and Gianluca Brunori has just been published, I wrote a foreword and the book is well worth a read link.springer.com/book/10.1007...

Massive encroachment by Bezos into The Washington Post’s opinion section - makes clear dissenting views will not be published I still have not felt encroachment on my journalism on the news side, but if Bezos tries interfering with the news side I will be quitting immediately and letting you know

Trump's Environmental Protection Agency appointees will move to reverse its 2009 declaration that greenhouse gases endanger human health & welfare, a decision that underpins the agency's authority to regulate GHGs under the Clean Air Act www.politico.com/news/2025/02... 🔌💡

President Trump yesterday announced his intention to impose 25% tariffs on EU exports to the US. In this blog post, I look at those EU agricultural products likely to be most affected and the options open to the EU to respond

Listen to Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski make a blistering contribution to the debate on the Ukrainian resolution at the United Nations condemning Russian aggression in Ukraine, the debate where shamefully the United States sided with Russia, Belarus, North Korea and Hungary

Carbon footprinting for agri-food products is the subject of a new OECD report published today https://buff.ly/4id9TWB. It lists 8 building blocks it sees as essential to achieve reliable and widespread carbon footprint information for food products.

We've known for some time that unilateral climate action risks carbon leakage, now a group of authors highlights in Science that unilateral agri-environment measures or rewilding in wealthy but low-biodiversity countries risks harming global biodiversity, https://buff.ly/3QnW8IS (paywall)

The not-yet-typeset version of our editorial to accompany a special issue of QOpen on climate mitigation for EU agriculture, together with Alisa Spiegel, Jens Rommel, and Claudia Heidecke, is now online, free to view academic.oup.com/qopen/advanc...

Results of elections to the French Chambers of Agriculture show marked advance for Coordination Rurale, stable vote for Confédération Paysanne while vote share for FNSEA fell below 50% for first time, full analysis by Jean Marie Seronie www.agroeconomie.com/single-post/...

Generational renewal in agriculture is a hot topic in Brussels and Member States right now. I summarise in this blog post my submission to the recently-established Irish Commission on Generational Renewal in Farming. Age-related direct payments have proven effective in Switzerland

Farmer Protests and the 2024 European Parliament Elections by @alanmatthews.bsky.social www.intereconomics.eu/contents/yea...

I look forward to participating in the debate on 'The Future of Direct Payments' in Brussels workshop organised by the European Landowners' Organisation Thursday morning 6 February, further details here

Defra announces a land use review for England (background papers https://buff.ly/4jCH1IU) just as the Irish government land use review Phase 2 is close to completion https://buff.ly/42zV0ce. Both address how to manage multiple demands for land and appropriate governance arrangements.

I have a chapter in the latest Progressive Yearbook 2025 published by FEPS on farmer protests in the EU and responses by the EU authorities, let me know what you think

Pieter Zwaan of Clingendael Institute reviews in a post on my blog how six MSs have implemented the exemptions and derogations in GAEC standards introduced by the Simplification Regulation, finds varied take-up and implementation

It is not yet clear what legal basis the Commission will use for ratification of the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement. Eur Parl Research Service brief spells out three models - EU Canada, EU Chile and EU Singapore - that might be used. Its complicated!

Good to see this new study for Eur Parl Budget Committee by Jacques Delors Institute, CEPS and LSE on adapting the EU budget to make it fit for future enlargements, where CAP budget plays a central role in different scenarios

DG AGRI announces the 30 members of the European Board on Agriculture and Food, all the usual suspects who already meet regularly in EU committees, I find it hard to see what its role will be

USDA Economic Research Service report on the economics of cellular agriculture and precision fermentation foods, documents growth in the sector, market drivers, U.S. regulatory environment, and market challenges as of 2023

Article in Science https://buff.ly/3PQIQUT on the gutting of the USDA's Economic Research Service under previous Trump administration and the difficulties of maintaining independence in agricultural economics research under a politicised administration. Staff must greatly fear the second coming.

Important report by INRAE and IDDRI researchers for European Parliament COMAGRI on 'The next reform of the CAP: the variables in the equation' just published, looking forward to reading it

Important report by INRAE and IDDRI researchers for European Parliament COMAGRI on 'The next reform of the CAP: the variables in the equation' just published, looking forward to reading it buff.ly/3EgYJ4k

The European Parliament Research Service has compiled list of commitments made by incoming Commissioners in their written answers to and oral hearings by EP committees inc. commitments by Commissioner for Agriculture and Food https://buff.ly/3PK6mCQ.

Commission President Von der Leyen establishes 14 Project Groups within the Commission to ensure preparation and political steer of key priorities including the Vision for Agriculture and Food buff.ly/3Pz6iWM. The terms of reference for the Vision Project Group are here buff.ly/4jgF4BU.

Euro area inflation creeps up to 2.4% in December, food price inflation running at 2.7% https://buff.ly/40g5w5A. Higher world market prices for meats, dairy, veg oils (but not cereals) in 2024 means we could see higher food price inflation in first half of 2025 https://buff.ly/3EDXx6a .

Please note that I have revised this blog post to correct an error, resulting in a higher market price impact on EU beef prices than I had originally estimated (2% as against 0.5%). My apologies to readers for the mistake.

I comment on the dramatic political changes in Austria at the moment and the policy implications of the growing support for far-right parties across EU member states in this blog post

The wise and insightful textbook on food economics from Amelia Finaret and @willmasters.bsky.social, published by SpringerNature, is open access and available to researchers around the world in countries at every income level. link.springer.com/book/10.1007...