Developments in Europe
Too Much Meat, Not Enough Vegetables! – September 21, 2023, PoliticoPro
A new report published by WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) reveals that European Union policies are promoting excessive meat consumption, which not only increases consumers' grocery bills but also discriminates against healthier and more sustainable options like fruits, vegetables, and organic foods. Giulia Riedo, Agriculture and Sustainable Food Policy Officer at the WWF European Policy Office, commented, “Food security has been at the center of EU discussions in recent years, but the report shows that policymakers have blatantly neglected policies that could improve access to healthy and sustainable food.”
Call for Sustainable Protein Production - September 21, 2023, PoliticoPro
Due to high demand from the livestock sector, the EU faces a significant deficit in plant-based proteins. The Commission is expected to review its protein policy in the first quarter of 2024 to address this "protein gap." Politicians, activists, and scientists, including former Commission members and Nobel Prize laureates, have called on the Commission president in an open letter to allocate €25 billion by 2030 to "accelerate a rapid protein transition."
MEPs Call for a 'Global and Ambitious' EU Protein Strategy - September 20, 2023, Euractiv
According to a report adopted by members of the European Parliament's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, the EU needs a "global" and "ambitious" protein strategy to support the ecological transition while strengthening the bloc's strategic autonomy in the field of proteins.
The pandemic and the war in Ukraine have highlighted the EU's dependence on third countries; only 30% of plant-based proteins, primarily used as animal feed, are now produced in Europe, with even more significant figures for soybeans, 90% of which come from Brazil or the United States. This situation is the result of a long-term policy that began with the signing of the Dillon Round Agreement in the 1960s, which allowed the U.S. to export duty-free oilseeds, particularly soybeans, to Europe.
EU Institutions Reach Agreement on Anti-Greenwashing Legislation, September 20, 2023, PoliticoPro
Representatives from the three EU institutions have reached an agreement on new rules to prevent companies from making misleading environmental claims.
The European Commission introduced its initiative to empower consumers for the green transition in March 2022, aiming to finalize new legislation to make products more sustainable by design and establish a right to repair across the EU.
The final agreement prohibits businesses from claiming that their products or activities are "climate neutral" or "carbon neutral" if such statements are based on unverified CO2 offsets. This comes in response to companies increasingly using carbon offsetting schemes, such as tree planting, to compensate for CO2 emissions and sometimes appear greener than they actually are. However, campaigners and scientists are scrutinizing these plans more closely, highlighting flaws in their efficiency and transparency. The final version of the legislation also prevents companies from using labels such as "biodegradable," "environmentally friendly," or "green" unless they have significant and publicly available evidence to substantiate their claims.
The agreement also requires companies to put an end to practices that intentionally limit product lifespans, known as early or planned obsolescence. However, it specifies that "traders will only be held accountable if information about the design features leading to these issues is available." The legislation also introduces a standardized label to display information about the durability of new products. The political agreement will now go to the European Parliament and the EU Council for final approval before the legislation comes into force.
European Parliament's Public Health Subcommittee (SANT) Meets on Food Issues - September 18, 2023, PoliticoPro
The European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) has been tasked with examining the implementation of the EU's regulation on food health claims, with the findings to be presented to the SANT subcommittee. The subcommittee will use this input to prepare a report on health claims made by food producers.
EU rules establish common standards for health claims and set an evidence threshold that such claims must meet to appear in a food producer's advertisements. As a result, consumers believe they are not being misled, and producers compete fairly since no one is allowed to get away with dubious claims. This is crucial because nearly one in five food products comes with some form of health claim.
What constitutes a health claim: “Health claims are statements that imply that consuming a specific food or ingredient provides health benefits or supports health,” it explains. For example: “Walnuts contribute to the elasticity of blood vessels.” New health claims are first reviewed by a national regulator and then sent to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for evaluation. The Commission ultimately decides whether to approve them.
Identified Issues: According to the EPRS study, while the health claims regulation is helpful, there are two main issues with its implementation. The first is the lack of nutrient profiles for food, which are required by the regulation but have yet to be established. The second concerns health claims related to herbal supplements: while herbal medicines are well-regulated under EU rules, the EPRS found that products containing botanical ingredients face legal uncertainty.
Q&A: Can Europe Transition to a Plant-Based Food System? – September 21, 2023, Green Queen
In a new report titled ‘Plant-Based Policy’, five European organisations have come together to recommend 11 measures that could prevent the region from moving towards a plant-based food system. The organisations are focusing on sustainable farming practices and encouraging greater plant-based protein production, with the aim of balancing economic opportunities and environmental stewardship with public health and animal welfare. They are calling for a redirection of funding, with cattle breeders in the EU spending at least 10% of all research and innovation spending over the same period.
Given that 97% of the revenue goes to animal farmers, 50% of their revenues were channelled into plant-based protein production through direct government subsidies between 2014-20, as well as further investment in downstream protein research.
Global Developments
Plant-Based Diets Rich in Vegetables, Nuts, and Tea Reduce Parkinson's Risk – September 20, 2023, Plant Based News
A new study has revealed that following a plant-based diet rich in vegetables, nuts, and tea can significantly reduce the risk of developing Parkinson's disease. Researchers from Queen’s University Belfast calculated indices for overall plant-based, healthy diets as well as unhealthy ones. They selected 126,283 participants from the UK Biobank, a large-scale biomedical database and research resource. The participants completed a questionnaire about how often they consumed approximately 200 different foods and 30 beverages over a 24-hour period.
Why a Plant-Based Early Breakfast May Reduce Diabetes Risk - September 18, 2023, VegNews
A new study suggests that eating breakfast early in the morning may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. By "early," researchers recommend before 8 a.m., not at dawn. Conducted by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (also known as ISGlobal), the study evaluated more than 100,000 participants, most of whom were women. It found that eating breakfast after 9 a.m. could increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by approximately 60% compared to those who ate before 8 a.m. The findings align with an approach called chrono-nutrition, which focuses on the link between nutrition and circadian biology.
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