Food & agriculture

How do agribusiness corporations impact decisions on our food system?

An open letter from CEO to the European Food Safety Authority

01.07.2011

With this open letter Corporate Europe Observatory reacts to a letter that EFSA executive director Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle wrote to CEO in reaction to our investigative report, “Exposed: conflicts of interest among EFSA’s experts on food additives”.

Exposed: conflicts of interest among EFSA’s experts on food additives

15.06.2011

New research by Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) has found that 11 out of the 20 experts on the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) panel on food additives (ANS) have a conflict of interest, as defined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Biotech lobby brochure launched at demo

02.05.2011

The first stop of the tour was the European Seeds Association (ESA) in Rue du Luxembourg, a lobby group representing the interests of large seed firms like Bayer, Dow, Monsanto, Pioneer and Syngenta. The biotech and pesticides corporations are represented via many lobby associations, including also EuropaBio, the European Crop Protection Association (ECPA), Croplife and ILSI (International Life Sciences Institute).

Food lobby bashes MEPs on labelling

17.04.2011

Once again, the issue of food labelling is on the table in the European Parliament, and is at the core of heated debate. EU Food Policy (issue 56 of 15 April 2011), reports that MEPs are furious about the food industry's lobbying attempts. Breaking all etiquette rules, leaflets were placed on MEPs desks urging them to vote agains certain amendments to the Food Information proposal. MEPs across the political spectrum have denounced the aggressive industry lobbying. The Environment Committee of the European Parliament is due to vote on the issue on Tuesday 19 April.

New cartoon exposes soy greenwash

30.03.2011

A new cartoon has been launched, exposing a new label for 'responsible' soy. Detective Pig investigates soy production in South America and finds out the truth behind this new label which is introduced on the European market this spring. It has been established by the Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS), a voluntary certification scheme supported by agribusiness including Monsanto and Unilever, and a few NGOs including WWF.

"This is not an industry event"

18.03.2011

A luxurious venue, corporate propaganda in the corridors, co-optation of the co-organisers, lobbyists in the room, civil society hardly present and heavy-weight politicians on stage: welcome to Syngenta's 4th Forum for the Future of Agriculture.

Conflicts of interest EFSA board letter

04.03.2011

Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) last week highlighted in a report that at least four members of EFSA’s management board are employed by or otherwise linked with food industry lobby groups and other commercial interests, a situation that creates potential conflicts of interest.

EFSA: conflicts of interest on board

23.02.2011

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is responsible for assessing and communicating food safety in the European Union, for everything from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to pesticides. However EFSA has recently been criticised because its scientific assessments of new GM crops and pesticides rely almost exclusively on corporate research data. Some EFSA experts have also been accused of being too close to the food and drink industry .

EU's Zero Tolerance on GM under fire

25.01.2011

A recent draft Commission proposal to change the legislation governing genetically modified (GM) foods and feeds has revealed that the Commission is giving in to a long-standing combined demand from the biotech, food and animal feed industry to break down the so-called ‘zero-tolerance policy’ regarding contamination with non-authorised GM food and feed.

Séralini wins libel case on GMOs

19.01.2011

Leading French researcher on the impacts of GMOs Gilles-Eric Séralini has won the court case against Marc Fellous of the Association Française des Biotechnologies Végétales (AFBV) for libel. Fellous was convicted to the symbolic fine of 1 euro for damages. Many people showed up on 17 January in front of the court in Paris. Corinne Lepage, MEP, said “When a whistleblower moves from the defensive to the offensive, this is now bearing its fruits.”

More EC secrecy agrofuel certification

15.12.2010

The European Commission continues its secrecy regarding the accreditation of voluntary schemes under the Renewable Energy Directive (RED). At least eleven voluntary agrofuel accreditation schemes are currently seeking approval - but the EU Commission has refused to release details of which schemes and companies are involved. In October, CEO, ClientEarth, Friends of the Earth and FERN have sent the Commission an access to document request demanding full and ongoing disclosure of both the names and the content of these schemes.

Is Big Food Shaping EFSA Policy?

29.11.2010

Public relations expertise developed by a food-and-drink-industry-funded think tank seems to be being promoted by the European Union’s food safety agency, following the appointment of a food industry insider. The PR strategy on dealing with risks has even been included in official guidelines. Recent cases of former Commissioners going through the revolving doors into lobbying jobs have raised questions about conflicts of interest.