Developments in Europe
Too Much Meat, Not Enough Vegetables! – September 21, 2023, PoliticoPro
A new report published by WWF (World Wildlife Fund) reveals that European Union policies encourage excessive meat consumption, which not only increases consumers’ grocery bills but also discriminates against healthier and more sustainable fruits, vegetables, and organic foods. Giulia Riedo, Head of Agriculture and Sustainable Food Policy at WWF Europe Policy Office, said, “Food security has been at the center of EU discussions in recent years, but the report shows that decision-makers are clearly neglecting policies that could provide better 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 has a significant gap in plant-based proteins. The Commission is expected to review its protein policy in the first quarter of 2024 to close this “protein gap.” Politicians, activists, and scientists, including former Commission members and Nobel Prize winners, wrote an open letter to the Commission president, asking the EU executive to invest €25 billion by 2030 to “accelerate a rapid protein transition.”
MPs Call for ‘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 exposed the EU’s dependence on third countries; only 30% of plant proteins, mainly used as animal feed, are now produced in Europe, while for soybeans the figures are even higher, with 90% coming 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 US to export oilseeds, especially soybeans, to Europe duty-free.
EU Institutions Agree on Anti-Greenwashing Legislation, September 20, 2023, PoliticoPro
Representatives from three EU institutions have agreed on new rules to prevent companies from making misleading environmental claims.
The European Commission presented its initiative to empower consumers for the green transition in March 2022, aiming to finalize new legislation to make products more sustainable in terms of 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 claims are based on unverified CO2 offsets. This follows companies increasingly using carbon offset schemes (such as planting trees) to compensate. CO2 emissions and sometimes appear greener than they actually are. However, campaigners and scientists are increasingly scrutinizing these plans and pointing out flaws in their effectiveness and transparency. The latest 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 support their claims.
The agreement also compels companies to cease practices that deliberately limit the lifespan of products, known as planned obsolescence. However, “retailers are only required to comply with this circumstances.” The legislation also introduces a harmonized label for displaying information on 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 enters into force.
European Parliament Subcommittee on Public Health (SANT) Meets on Food – September 18, 2023, PoliticoPro
The European Parliament Research Service (EPRS) has been tasked with examining how the EU’s food health claims regulation is being implemented; it will present its findings to SANT. The subcommittee will then use this input to prepare a report on health claims made by food producers.
EU regulations establish common standards for health claims and set a threshold of evidence that these claims must meet in order to appear in a food producer’s advertising. As a result, consumers believe they are not being fed lies, and producers compete fairly because no one is allowed to get away with making unsubstantiated claims. This is crucial because nearly one in five foods comes with some kind of health claim.
What constitutes a health claim: “Health claims are statements implying that consuming a specific food or ingredient benefits or supports the consumer’s health,” it says. For example: “Walnuts contribute to the flexibility of blood vessels.” New health claims are reviewed by a national regulator and then sent to the European Food Safety Authority for consultation. The Commission ultimately decides whether to approve them.
Issues identified: According to the EPRS study, while health claim regulation is helpful, there are two main problems with its implementation. The first is the lack of food nutrient profiles, which are required by the regulation but have not yet been established. The second relates to health claims for herbal supplements: While herbal medicines are well regulated under EU rules, the EPRS found that botanical products are subject to regulatory uncertainty.
Q&A: Can Europe Transition to a Plant-Based Food System? – September 21, 2023, Green Queen
Five European organizations have come together to propose 11 measures that could prevent the region’s transition to a plant-based food system in a new report titled “Plant-Based Policy.” The French Vegetarian Society, the Danish Vegetarian Society, and the Portuguese Vegetarian Society. The organizations aim to balance economic opportunities and environmental stewardship with public health and animal welfare. sustainable agricultural practices and promoting increased plant-based protein production. They are calling for a redirection of funds; in the EU, cattle farmers received at least 97% of all research and innovation spending during the same period, while only 3% went to plant-based producers.
Given that 97% of all research and innovation spending in the EU went to livestock farmers during the same period, it is noted that 50% of their income was transferred to plant-based protein production and additional protein research through direct government subsidies between 2014 and 2020.
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 eating 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 in Belfast calculated indices for a generally plant-based, healthy diet and an unhealthy one. They selected 126,283 participants from the UK Biobank, a large-scale biomedical database and research resource. Participants completed a questionnaire detailing 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. And by early, the researchers mean before 8 a.m., not dawn. The new research, conducted by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (also known as ISGlobal), evaluated more than 100,000 people, mostly women, and found that eating breakfast after 9 a.m. could increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by approximately 60 percent compared to those who ate before 8 a.m. The findings align with an approach called chrono-nutrition, which focuses on the connection between nutrition and circadian biology.
