The United States has the opportunity to upgrade its food exports to increase revenues for farmers, but for that to happen it needs to negotiate a comprehensive trade deal with Europe. For reference, America exports more food to Japan, a market of 125 million consumers, than to the European Union, which holds (with its associated […]
Are the Feds Coming for Your Amazon Prime Account Next?
According to the Wall Street Journal, tech giant Amazon may soon face an antitrust lawsuit by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Amazon has, for years, faced criticism for its business model which is seen by regulators and (some) politicians as “anticompetitive” – whether it is the accusation of preferencing its own products in its online store, […]
Europe’s Farm Reforms Come to Haunt It
When the European Commission (the EU’s executive arm) unveiled the “Farm to Fork” (often referred to as F2F) strategy in May 2020, the repercussions of the years to come were unknown. Brussels laid out an ambitious roadmap for agricultural reform: reducing land use, severe cuts in synthetic crop protection, reduction in synthetic fertilizers and boosting […]
ConsEUmer podcast / EP104: Hands off my booze (Consumer Choice Radio joint episode)
This week’s episode is a joint episode with the friends at Consumer Choice Radio. One of our topics in this episode: Ireland attempts to stick warning labels on your booze, and we’re not a fan. February 23, 2023 Check out more of Consumer Choice Radio: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/radio/ Follow ConsEUmer wherever you get your podcasts: Apple: https://apple.co/2HR4TLTSpotify: […]
ConsEUmer podcast / EP94: Energy treaty battles, Maltese cannabis, and Sharing Economy Index 2022 (w/ Emil Panzaru)
In this week’s ConsEUmer podcast: 🛢️ The Energy Charter Treaty is coming under fire 🇲🇹 Malta will legalise cannabis, but not every is happy 📱 Sharing Economy Index 2022 (w/ Emil Panzaru) Follow Emil Panzaru on Twitter @EmilPanzaru. Support the war effort in Ukraine: https://www.recyclerussia.com/ November 24, 2022 Follow ConsEUmer wherever you get your podcasts: […]
ConsEUmer podcast / EP93: French domestic flights, Hungary’s price caps, and the Dangers of TikTok (w/ Adam Kovacevich)
In this week’s episode of the ConsEUmer podcast: 🇫🇷 The effects of France’s ban on domestic flights 🇭🇺 Hungary implements price caps (w/ Zoltán Kész) 🎵 Is TikTok a threat? (w/ Adam Kovacevich) Follow Zoltán Kész on Twitter @KeszZoltan. Follow Adam Kovacevich on Twitter @adamkovac. Zoltán’s press release: https://consumerchoicecenter.org/orbans-price-caps-on-food-and-fuel-will-lead-to-shortages/ Adam’s post: https://www.smerconish.com/exclusive-content/tiktok-is-a-runaway-success-but-its-chinese-ownership-is-problematic-for-the-u-s/ Support the war […]
Dutch farmer protests give cautionary tale to the U.S.
Over the summer, farmers in the Netherlands vehemently protested against the government’s new environmental rules. Over multiple weeks, thousands of farmers burned hay bales and blocked roads and food distribution centers in an effort to draw attention to new EU rules that would paralyze the sector. The government in The Hague attempts to follow EU […]
ConsEUmer podcast / EP87: Truss time, Veganism fact-checked, and Protests in CZ (w/ Martin Pánek)
In this week’s ConsEUmer podcast: 🇬🇧 The UK has a new Prime Minister 🥗 Politico fact-checks claims on global veganism 🇨🇿 Protests in the Czech Republic (w/ Martin Pánek) You can follow Martin Pánek on Twitter @mmister. Check out these websites if you want support Ukraine financially: https://www.blue-yellow.lt/en/ https://how-to-help-ukraine-now.super.site/?fbclid=IwAR2HawZT-H0iLD08QdXDMBG2qFKA3dpHsjDXt7bppN092YP2TVnQuDJ4j8A September 8, 2022 Follow ConsEUmer wherever […]
ConsEUmer podcast / EP85: Spain’s fights the robot voices, France bans fossil fuel ads, and Italian politics in turmoil (w/ Alberto Mingardi)
In this week’s episode: 🇪🇸 Spain wants to ban automated customer service 🇫🇷 France bans fossil fuel advertising 🇮🇹 Italy votes in a month follow the resignation of Mario Draghi (w/ Alberto Mingardi) Follow Alberto Mingardi think tank Istituto Bruno Leoni on Twitter @istbrunoleoni. Check out these websites if you want support Ukraine financially: https://www.blue-yellow.lt/en/ […]
Biden’s EPA Wants to Make Farming Even Harder
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in a move that considerably upsets farmers, is moving to essentially ban the commonly used pesticide atrazine. The agency is adapting the so-called concentration equivalent level of concern (CE-LOC) for atrazine from 15 parts per billion (which it had set itself in 2020) to 3.4 ppb — meaning that thousands […]