Industrial farming has a huge impact on the climate, the local environment and our health. Synthetic pesticides and fertilizers pollute our soil and the air we breathe, while deforestation to make space for intensive farming and meat production fuels greenhouse gas emissions. It's time to shift to a sustainable farming system that works with nature, not against it.
Brussels – A European Commission presentation to national governments on the Commission’s upcoming ‘farm-to-fork’ strategy denies Europe’s industrial meat problem, said Greenpeace. The presentation, given on 31 January by the…
Greenpeace sent a letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and her team, calling on them to use the European Green Deal to restructure the economic system that for…
Brussels, 29 November 2019 – Draft plans for a European Green Deal would have minimal impact on the worsening climate and ecological emergencies, warned Greenpeace. Greenpeace has obtained a recent…
February 2020
Brussels – A European Commission presentation to national governments on the Commission’s upcoming ‘farm-to-fork’ strategy denies Europe’s industrial meat problem, said Greenpeace. The presentation, given on 31 January by the…
December 2019
Greenpeace sent a letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and her team, calling on them to use the European Green Deal to restructure the economic system that for…
November 2019
Brussels, 29 November 2019 – Draft plans for a European Green Deal would have minimal impact on the worsening climate and ecological emergencies, warned Greenpeace. Greenpeace has obtained a recent…
October 2019
The nominee to be the next European agriculture commissioner, Janusz Wojciechowski of Poland, must steer EU farm policy away from industrial production of meat and dairy to keep his promises…
September 2019
Incoming EU Commission President greeted in The Hague with burning globe The Hague – Greenpeace activists greeted incoming President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, this evening in…
August 2019
Twenty-six NGOs sent an open letter to European leaders urging them to end European complicity in the fires raging in the Amazon. NGOs believe the EU can act decisively in…
August 2019
EU Green Deal must begin shift to climate change-resilient farming, Greenpeace Brussels – A landmark UN report on the impact of human land exploitation has exposed a giant gap in the…
June 2019
Brussels – In an open letter published today, over 340 civil society organisations are demanding that the European Union immediately halt trade negotiations with the Mercosur bloc (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay…
May 2019
Brussels – Greenhouse gas emissions from European farming have been rising steadily since 2012, according to a new European Commission report about the climate impact of the EU’s common agricultural policy.…
May 2019
Over 30 civil society organisations, in the areas of farming, fisheries, environment, animal welfare, health, consumers, consumer co-operatives, development, social justice, climate, and forestry, wrote to the ‘Spitzenkadidaten’ – the…
April 2019
Brussels – Over 600 scientists from across Europe and representatives of 300 Indigenous groups from Brazil have called on the European Union to make trade talks with Brazil conditional on the…
April 2019
Agriculture committee votes against basic animal welfare, Greenpeace Members of the European Parliament’s agriculture committee voted today for the EU to continue subsidising Europe’s most environmentally destructive factory
April 2019
A giant squealing pig in a cage greeted members of the European Parliament today in Brussels, ahead of a crucial vote on the future of farming in Europe.Activists called on…
March 2019
On 2 April, MEPs on the European Parliament’s agriculture committee will weigh in on a European Commission plan to reform the EU’s common agricultural policy The committee will vote on…
February 2019
Greenpeace wrote to the EU agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan, requesting a response to the Greenpeace report Feeding the Problem. Download the letter here.
February 2019
On 2 April, the European Parliament’s agriculture committee will have its say on the next seven years of the EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP). Will the agriculture committee MEPs follow…
February 2019
Environment committee votes for more funding for ecological farming, cuts for intensive animal farms Strasbourg/Brussels – The European Parliament’s environment committee has voted to increase environmental and animal welfare protections under…
February 2019
Industrial production and excessive consumption of meat and dairy products have grave impacts on our climate, our environment and our health. Europe’s consumption habits and production levels have widely exceeded…
February 2019
At least 71% of the EU’s farmland is used to feed livestock, according to new research published by Greenpeace. Around 63% of arable land is dedicated to feeding farm animals.
January 2019
Retreat from safety standards that led to ban of three neonicotinoid pesticides Brussels, 23 January 2019 – Under pressure from pesticide producers and governments, the European Commission is planning to…
January 2019
NGOs wrote to European Commission President Juncker to tell him that bees are still exposed to dangerous pesticides, despite EU ban of three neonicotinoids Download the letter to President Juncker…
January 2019
Despite EU ban of three neonicotinoids, bees are still at risk Greenpeace and over 50 other organisations wrote to European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker calling on him to ensure EU…
December 2018
Brussels – In a roadmap released today, the European Commission has promised to address global deforestation and cut the EU’s footprint on the world’s forests. The roadmap highlights the link between…
November 2018
Brussels – Seven European governments have ramped up pressure on the European Commission to deliver a long-awaited action plan by the end of the year to tackle global deforestation. The letter…
November 2018
EU risks a race to the bottom in European farming environmental standards, Greenpeace Brussels – The European Court of Auditors, the EU’s financial watchdog, has poked holes in the European…
October 2018
Brussels – European agriculture ministers made no reference to meat and dairy production’s contribution to climate change, as they set out their national positions on the EU’s ongoing reform of…
September 2018
Brussels – The European Parliament has demanded swift action from the European Commission to cut Europe’s footprint on the world’s forests and its associated impact on climate change, species loss and…
August 2018
Brussels – The European Commission has announced measures in response to drought conditions in Europe. Farmers will receive subsidies in advance, and will be exempted from requirements to protect the…
June 2018
Industrial farming to blame for manure polluting water, Greenpeace The Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) has ruled that Germany breached EU law by allowing manure runoff from farms…
June 2018
The European Commission proposal for the new common agricultural policy (CAP) fails the environment and the climate, according to Greenpeace. The new CAP proposal gives national governments the responsibility to…
May 2018
Involve other committees in EU agriculture policy reform or risk health and environment, Greenpeace A majority of MEPs on the European Parliament’s agriculture committee have strong links to the farming…
May 2018
For 56 years, European farming has been guided by the European Union’s common agricultural policy (CAP) and the subsidies it distributes to European farmers. The CAP currently accounts for almost…
May 2018
The European Commission has slashed funding earmarked for environmental protection in a draft seven-year EU budget released today. The Commission has removed environmental funding under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP),…
April 2018
CAP payments fund factory farms leaking ammonia into air and water Subsidies from the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) are supporting some of Europe’s most polluting livestock farms, a…
April 2018
Subsidies from the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) are supporting some of Europe’s most polluting livestock farms, a Greenpeace investigation has revealed. Over half (51%) of the farms examined…
March 2018
Europe’s farming system heavily favours industrial agriculture and intensive meat and dairy farming. We wrote to EU Commission President Juncker, EU Council President Tusk and EU Parliament President Tajani –…
March 2018
Environmental NGOs, farmers, food movements and animal welfare groups wrote to EU Commission First Vice-President Timmermans, and Commissioners Günther Oettinger, Jyrki Katainen, Karmenu Vella and Phil Hogan to voice concerns…
March 2018
A statement by European agriculture ministers on the EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP) ignores the impacts on public health and the environment, according to Greenpeace. The text comes ahead of…
March 2018
Global meat and dairy production and consumption must be cut in half by 2050 to avoid dangerous climate change and keep the Paris climate agreement on track, says a new…
December 2017
Proposed EU restrictions on neonicotinoids would allow use in greenhouses Brussels/Exeter – Bees and other wildlife are exposed to neonicotinoid pesticides even if they are used only inside greenhouses, a…
December 2017
Will the use of neonicotinoids in greenhouses continue to present a risk for bees and other organisms? The European Commission has proposed a ban on three neonicotinoids – imidacloprid,clothianidin and…
November 2017
Brussels – On the eve of a major reform of European Union farming rules, the European Commission has glossed over the growing environmental and health impact of the industrial meat…
March 2017
Governments must close remaining loopholes The European Commission has proposed a ban of three neonicotinoid pesticides known to harm bees and other species, except for use in permanent greenhouses, according…
March 2017
Brussels – Over 150 European civil society organisations representing environmental and social justice networks, organic farmers, pastoralists, peasants, sustainable forestry groups, health groups, animal welfare organisations, consumer rights bodies, development,…
January 2017
Limits of partial EU ban exposed Brussels, 12 January 2017 – Neonicotinoid pesticides pose serious risks not only to honeybees, but also to many other species, according to a scientific…
December 2016
Brussels, 6 December 2016 – The findings of new reports from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and a recent decision by the European Commission should result in a ban…
November 2016
Brussels, 15 November 2016 – The EU should rethink international trade deals that drive industrial farming, said Greenpeace, following an EU report on the negative impacts of several trade agreements…
October 2016
Brussels – Commenting on the vote cast by the European Parliament today about the Commission’s proposal to authorise three GM maize varieties for cultivation in Europe, Greenpeace EU food policy…
July 2016
27 July 2016 – Greenpeace Germany today published an updated version of The EU Pesticide Blacklist [1]. This catalogue, developed by an independent expert, classifies all pesticides authorised in the…
June 2016
Brussels – The European Commission is seeking political backing to allow unrestricted use of controversial weedkiller glyphosate by labelling the decision as temporary, warned Greenpeace. The Commission has scheduled a…
