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Environment

The meat industry has come under fire from environmental campaigners in recent years and is having to run hard to catch up on the green debate. Catch up with the latest news and developments on this important subject.

CFIA recognises on-farm swine biosecurity standard

23-Oct-2012 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has officially acknowledged a national standard of on-farm swine biosecurity after a rigourous review ensured that it met the CFIA's criteria.

Suspending biofuel standard might increase livestock feed prices, report claims

23-Oct-2012 - American poultry and livestock producers may be facing a jump in animal feed prices if the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decides to adjust portions of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), a new study has argued. The RFS, established by congress in 2007, stipulates a certain percentage of fuel must be made from renewable sources, such as corn-based ethanol.

Livestock intensification damaging to food security, claims CIWF

22-Oct-2012 - Intensification of livestock farming is actually damaging, rather than improving, world food security, according to a new report from UK charity Compassion in World Farming (CIWF).

Anti-GM sentiment grows in CIS

17-Oct-2012 - Opposition to the use of genetically modified organisms (GMO) in animal feed is growing in the CIS countries of Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Belarus.

US pork sector repeats call for corn ethanol waiver

16-Oct-2012 - The US pork industry has repeated calls for US environmental chiefs to grant a waiver of the government mandate on corn ethanol production.

EU biofuels U-turn ‘irresponsible’, say farmers

12-Oct-2012 - The EU must not impose “irresponsible” limits on the amount of crop-based biofuels it produces as it is likely to put animal feed supplies at risk and is based on a flawed impact assessment, a European farming co-operative has warned.

News in brief

EU shows commitment to climate change adaptation

13-Sep-2012 - Europe’s agriculture minister have reaffirmed their commitment to pushing climate change adaptation measures through reforms to the Common Agricultural policy.

Farmers on "front line" of water security, says NFU

03-Sep-2012 - Addressing food and water security is crucial to Europe’s farmers, but widespread European regulation on water is not the way forward, delegates at an international water conference in Sweden were warned.

News in brief

Australia to investigate improved manure management

31-Aug-2012 - Australia’s meat industry leaders have secured funding for research into how livestock manure management can reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).

Calls to waive Renewable Fuels Standard gain momentum in US

23-Aug-2012 - The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has opened a 30-day public comment period on requests to waive a portion of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS).

Beer by-product helps reduce cattle methane

22-Aug-2012 - A by-product of beer can help reduce methane emissions in cattle, scientists in Australia have found.

Australia studies genetic selection impact on methane

17-Aug-2012 - Australian scientists have carried out tests on 2,500 sheep in a bid to understand whether it is possible to reduce methane emissions through genetic selection.

Marfrig to work on third-party emissions

06-Aug-2012 - Marfrig Group, a leading global food producer, has concluded that 95% of its global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions come from third-party sources.

Drought forces US to take emergency action

31-Jul-2012 - American livestock producers are in “deep trouble” following the worst drought the country has experienced in 25 years, according to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Australian pork trade gains R&D boost

09-Jul-2012 - The Australian pork industry is set to benefit from a AU$2.7m boost into R&D funding across a range of projects to help boost the sector.

IMS works with FAO to measure environmental impact of livestock

09-Jul-2012 - The International Meat Secretariat (IMS) has officially joined forces with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in an attempt to measure the environmental impact of livestock.

Concerns over EFSA GM food safety guidelines

06-Jul-2012 - Anti-genetically modified (GM) food campaign groups are concerned about guidelines on GM food safety.

FAO heads effort to measure global impact of livestock industry

05-Jul-2012 - A new partnership initiative to improve how the environmental impacts of the livestock industry are measured and assessed is being headed up by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

UN Conference calls for more sustainable livestock

28-Jun-2012 - Agriculture ministers worldwide are digesting the details of the agreement struck at the United Nations (UN) Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which stressed the need for livestock production systems to be more sustainable.

Expert warns EU on sustainability

25-Jun-2012 - Europe must take a balanced view on sustainability or risk exporting its meat production, a leading agricultural expert has warned.

Dutch food packaging company opens new factory in England

25-Jun-2012 - The international food packaging company Faerch Plast (FP) opened a new factory in County Durham, England, last week to add to its portfolio of factories in Denmark and the Czech Republic.

Grass-fed meat vital for health, warn experts

22-Jun-2012 - Environmental groups are risking human health and the environment by recommending diets that are very low in meat, experts have warned.

EU and Brazil sign sustainable agriculture agreement at Rio+20

22-Jun-2012 - Brazil and the European Union have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a dialogue on agriculture following a conference on sustainable and inclusive agriculture held alongside the Rio+20 Summit of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.

EU ministers give green light on EU animal welfare law

21-Jun-2012 - European Union (EU) ministers have authorised the European Commission to draft a comprehensive animal welfare law that could include mandatory meat labelling laws.

Brazilian firm gains Rainforest Alliance recognition

20-Jun-2012 - One of the largest organic meat producers in Latin America has become the first company in the world to be awarded Rainforest Alliance certification for sustainable cattle production.