Lift the sanctions on Russia, and we’ll allow for Ukraine to export its food: that was the message that Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko passed on to its European counterparts recently. Moscow has been responsible for blocking Ukrainian transport ships carrying grain from passage through the Black Sea. Around 24 million metric tons of wheat and […]
How Ukraine Upended Europe’s Agriculture and Energy Policies
In Europe, every political consensus of the last few decades has been thrown out the window. German pacifism, French president Emmanuel Macron’s belief that NATO is “braindead,” and now the continent’s entire agriculture sustainability strategy have been put into question. In response to disruptions in Europe’s food supply, the European People’s Party (EPP), the European […]
ConsEUmer podcast / EP71: Goodbye masks, Chaotic summer, and The breakfast divide (co-hosted with Elizabeth Hicks)
This week’s episode of ConsEUmer is co-hosted with Elizabeth Hicks! We cover: 😷 Florida judge overturns mask mandate in the United States 🧑✈️ Airlines deal with staff shortages 🥘 Should you eat three times a day? CNN Travel article: https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/travel-chaos-summer-2022/index.html BBC Future article: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220412-should-we-be-eating-three-meals-a-day Follow Elizabeth Hicks on Twitter @eohicks. Check out these websites if […]
Europe’s Legislative Copy and Paste on Ag Reform a Warning for US
War is never a good time for an “I told you so!” It amounts to making a point on policy on the backs of the suffering of many. That said, Russia’s war against Ukraine has laid the cards on the table not just on Europe’s energy dependence, but its entire sustainability strategy. Activists in Ukraine […]
It’s Time for the EU to Turn to Africa
So far, the relationship between the European Union and Africa has been a complicated one. Food producers have little opportunity to access the European market, which is protected through high food standards and the subsidization of farmers and farmland. On energy, Europe has been happy to look East rather than South, making Africa’s potential unexplored. […]
EU Green Policies Back On The Table
Russia’s war in Ukraine has shaken every political consensus in Europe. Within weeks, Germany’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline deal with Moscow was cancelled, and the principle of not sending weapons to war zones went out the window. Just three years ago, French President Emmanuel Macron called NATO “braindead.” Now, nobody in Europe is echoing this […]
ConsEUmer podcast / EP62: Booze regs, Cancelling NordStream, and Cory Spartacus Booker (co-hosted w/ Elizabeth Hicks)
Note: I forgot to post this podcast before scheduling episode 63. So it’s in the wrong order now, but still finally on this website! Elizabeth Hicks is co-hosting this week’s ConsEUmer episode, in an epic transatlantic collab! (Note: we recorded this on Monday, so before NordStream 2 was actually cancelled) 🍷 Potential new alcohol regulations […]
ConsEUmer podcast / EP63: War in Europe (w/ Ihor Masiakin)
Today’s episode of ConsEUmer is fully dedicated to talking about the situation in Ukraine. Our guest this week is Ihor Masiakin from Ukraine. 🇺🇦 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 Note: Apologies for the drop notification sound in the background. I’ve edited it out as much as I could […]
ConsEUmer podcast / EP61: African connection, Expensive chips, and Europe/US ag headaches (w/ Paul Brian)
In this week’s ConsEUmer episode: 🌍 EU-Africa trade relations: can we talk about agriculture? 🇪🇺 Details on the EU’s Chips Act (w/ Luca Bertoletti) 🚜 What divides the EU and the U.S on agriculture policy? (w/ Paul Brian) Paul Brian’s article in InsideSources: https://insidesources.com/in-us-eu-agricultural-battle-biden-follows-in-trumps-footsteps/ Euractiv webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQFr3AclOpI You can follow Paul Brian on Twitter @paulrbrian. […]
Let’s Learn Well What Farming Once Was, and Not Go Back
Those privileged of having met their grandparents, or even better, their great-grandparents, know of the staggering improvements in human prosperity over the last 100 years. For those born into wealth it’s noticeable through the advances of modern medicine (allowing you to meet your great-grandparents in the first place), but the changes are even more breathtaking […]