Alongside the publication on the EU Official Journal of the EU Directive (2015/412) regarding the possibility for the Member States to restrict or prohibit the cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in their territory, a survey carried out by Coldiretti (National Small Farmers’ Confederation) shows that lands sown with biotech seeds decreased by 3% in
The Russian government submitted to the Parliament a bill to prohibit the cultivation and rearing of genetically modified plants and animals within the Russian Federation territory, with the exception of scientific research purposes. The new legislation envisages the possibility of the government to prohibit foreign imports of genetically modified products, after having tested the effects
Soil provides us with our livelihoods and protection. The United Nations declared it the protagonist of 2015 in order to spotlight risks threatening it.
When you think about fair trade the world’s Southern countries are off the top of your head. As well as coffee and cocoa plantations, tropical fruits and sugar cane. In a virtuous circle of production and marketing of sustainable food that since 1988 provides fair wages and promotes respect for people and the environment, Solidale
1 Apples Apples are one of the food products to be treated the most with pesticides, resulting in chemical residues on the peel. 40 different pesticides have been identified. A Swiss study, published in the proceedings of the 25th International Horticultural Congress, found in organic apples a higher content of potassium (+31%) and phenols (+19%, mostly
It’s simple, without bees there’s no food. Without food human beings are on the brink of extinction. In the new footage by Greenpeace, which on this occasion became Greenbees, a group of activist bees are trying to convince men to stop using pesticides and other toxic chemicals in farming. For themselves. Because without bees there
The number of monarch butterflies that have migrated from the United States to the forest covered peaks of the Sierra Madre in Mexico has continued to decline this year. In December 2013 only 35 million individuals of the most popular butterfly in the whole of North America migrated, coming to inhabit 6,700 square metres of
Organic farming works in harmony with nature rather than against it. The agricultural ecosystem is considered a balanced model for cultivated plants’ development. Typical organic farming practices include: safeguarding beneficial insects for pest control; the use of resistant crops; mulching, i.e. covering the ground with a layer of loose material for weed management; green manure
What are GMOs? Genes contain information on the characteristics of every living organism (vegetable or animal). Genetic engineering can modify this information by transferring genes from an organism (e.g. bacteria) to another one (e.g. vegetables, livestock). By doing so, it can, for example, slow down the apparent deterioration of tomatoes, or make chickens produce eggs
