The Agricultural Markets Task Force (AMTF), chaired by Cees P. Veerman, presented today its report “Improving market outcomes - Enhancing the position of farmers in the supply chain” to the EU Agri Commissioner.

The AMTF stressed current issues and concerns faced by farmers and made recommendations, some of which reflect first moves to tackle unfair trading practices, contractualisation issues and competition law applied to agriculture so as to strengthen farmers’ position and ensure fair balance along the supply chain. Recommendations focusing on market transparency, risk management and futures instruments also add to the debate on volatility.

CIBE will continue to contribute to the discussion with the aim to provide beet growers with the appropriate regulatory framework and tools to face the post-2017 era.  

You can download the report here.

The small town of Moyvillers, in the Oise, was, for two days, on the 26th and 27th of October, the capital of the sugar beet industry thanks to Betteravenir 2016, the European sugar beet field exhibition organized by the French Sugar beet Institute (ITB) and the Royal Belgium Institute for Sugar beet (IRBAB).

The end of the European quota system is soon to come and the environmental restrictions are getting more complex. In this strongly evolving context, Betteravenir will bring together both the agricultural and agroindustrial sectors, to give practical solutions for the future. The event will take place the 26th and 27th of October in Moyvillers, in the Oise region, in France.

You can download the Press Release. More information is available on the website: www.betteravenir.com

The Commission has today hosted a Joint Meeting of the Civil Dialogue Group and the Sugar Expert Group, bringing together stakeholders and Member State officials to discuss the opportunities and challenges from the abolition of the EU sugar quota regime at the end of September 2017.

It followed the 2006 sugar reform which facilitated important restructuring of the sector across the EU (reducing production quotas by almost 6 million tonnes), making the sector more competitive and putting it in an economic position to move to a post-quota environment. The decision to abolish the sugar quota system - the only CAP quota regime still in place - was postponed by two years by Ministers and MEPs in the 2013 CAP Reform.

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The future of the sugar market after the abolition of sugar quotas in 2017

AGRI organised a hearing on "The future of the EU sugar market after the abolition of sugar quotas in 2017". Seven experts were invited to address Members: H. Bleckwenn, North German Umbrella Association of Sugar Beet Growers, J.-I. Senovilla, Union of Small Farmers, P. Myllymäki, MTK Sugarbeet Committee, L. Girol, European Sugar Refineries Association, P. Giry, Saint Louis Sucre, G. Tamburini, Unionzucchero and K. Nykiel, National Union of Sugar beet planters.

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The EU BSSP launches today its first e-campaign: have a look at our new video to know more about the Good Practices.

Discover our Good Practices through this beet season on our website and on Twitter #FollowTheBeet

Social dialogue Click here to download the Issue Brief on Social Dialogue

Click here to download the statement.

On the occasion of the start of the negotiations for the COP21 in Paris, the EUBSSP has prepared an Issue Brief to illustrate the contribution of the EU Beet Sugar sector to the reduction of GHG emissions.

HOW DOES THE EU BEET SUGAR SECTOR ADAPT TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND HELP TO REDUCE GHG EMISSIONS?

Beet growing and processing are exposed to the positive and negative consequences of climate change which impose the development of different adaptation strategies. The greenhouse gases (GHG) – CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O – arising from beet growing and processing largely derive from the use of energy and agricultural inputs, in particular fossil fuels and fertilizers. However, beet growing is not only a source of GHG, but also a GHG sink via atmospheric carbon fixation and the sequestration of carbon in the soil, notably through the return of organic matter (crop residues). Finally, the reduction of fossil energy and of fertilizer use in both beet cultivation and processing through various good practices have led to tangible results in the reduction of GHG emissions and the mitigation of climate change.

Click here to download the Issue Brief or go directly on: www.sustainablesugar.eu