The Ingredient

03/03/2018

Spain has more land area dedicated to organic farming than any EU country. With two digit growth figures, its organic market is performing well. So why is eating organic such a mission in Spain?

nabel Pascual, a journalist with EFE, the Spanish news agency, interviewed me this week about how Spain is performing in the organic sector. Here’s my analysis on what is behind the latest Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) figures and my suggestions for consolidating the sector:

28/02/2018

Spain is the EU country with biggest surface dedicated to organic farming, yet it remains a exporting country, neglecting its domestic market. Here is my interview for EFE analysing the performance and latest figures of the Spanish organic sector. http://bit.ly/EcoES

09/12/2017

Important article about the shockingly high su***de rates within global farmer population.

- US: more than double that of military veterans.
- Australian: 1 farmer dies by su***de every four days;
- UK: one farmer a week takes his or her own life;
- France: one farmer dies by su***de every two days;
- India, more than 270,000 farmers have died by su***de since 1995.

The su***de rate for farmers is more than double that of veterans. Former farmer Debbie Weingarten gives an insider’s perspective on farm life – and how to help

29/11/2017

If hunger becomes the most urgent challenge of the 21st century, then the Netherlands will be ready. Thanks to precision farming, this tiny country became the world's second bigger food exporter after the US (which has 270 times its landmass!). And while doing so, it almost completely eliminated the use of chemical pesticides, and livestock producers have cut their use of antibiotics by as much as 60%. Yet, this doesn't feel right. Enjoy the surreal pictures.

The Netherlands has become an agricultural giant by showing what the future of farming could look like.

16/11/2017

Each year, more than 124,000 tonnes of fish are discarded in EU fisheries. This blatant waste of natural resources, at a time when there is growing awareness of their finite supply, has sparked public outcry. During the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, between 2010 and 2013, over 870,000 people took action – signing petitions, emailing politicians, using social media and participating in public events, calling for an end to discarding fish in European waters. Now Our Fish has published a report that investigates whether in the two and half years since the Landing Obligation was introduced in the Baltic Sea, has anything changed? Is discarding still taking place? Are catch and discards being reported? Read more: http://our.fish/thrownaway2017

06/10/2017

Good job people! Ban EU citizens initative was just added to list of successful initiatives! Commission has three months to answer http://bit.ly/2ytiPFo . That why it's still worth it to sign petitions.

20/07/2017

France begins four-month public consultation on agriculture and food policy today: Les États généraux de l’alimentation. Open to citizens' reflexions on sustainability, health and environment. Consider registering and argument on France agriculture road map. http://agriculture.gouv.fr/pourquoi-des-etats-generaux-de-lalimentation?platform=hootsuite

20/07/2017 Etats généraux de l'alimentation Annoncés par le Président de la République en juin dernier, les États généraux de l’alimentation visent à relancer la création de valeur et en assurer l’équitable répartition, permettre aux agriculteurs de vivre dignement de leur travail par le paiement de...

06/05/2017

Have you ever bumped into food businesses claiming high and mightily that they stock organic products, only to find out that they have just two or three? The Ingredient talks about , and and my first post is a rant against "healthy" food retailers. http://bit.ly/2pMjBYN

Four countries in less than ten years, several bosses and apartments, and the same reflex when I land in a new place: where do I find organic food? After all, moving house makes a woman hungry. Sant Cugat, near Barcelona, is where I currently live and it’s where the organic shopping journey starts.…