Quick Take — Europe defies Trump’s duties: illegal pesticides in the crosshairs

The EU is poised to armour its agricultural market with new import restrictions, hitting those food products made to looser standards. A move that echoes Donald Trump ‘s ‘reciprocal’ trade policy and could trigger new global tensions… Historically, the Commission has opposed requests by member states, such as France, to impose ‘reciprocal’ trade policies, arguing that this could violate rules set by the World Trade Organisation. Restrictions are only allowed on scientific grounds

Source. An original approach, found here

Quick Take — Increasing notifications of trade fraud, counterfeiting, adulteration and food alerts in the European Union

This is revealed in the Food Safety Alerts and Fraud Investigation Report for the year 2023, published in mid-September by the European Commission. The document brings together the results of the work of the Alert and Co-operation Network, through which member states share information on official controls in the agri-food chain… Last year, there was an 8% increase in notifications, totalling just under 4,700. The most frequent reason for notification was the presence of pesticide residues, followed by microbiological hazards, especially Salmonella, and mycotoxins

Most of the notifications concerned non-compliant fruit and vegetables rejected at customs (mainly for the presence of unauthorised pesticides)… Source.

In the USA, the situation with listeria does not look any better. Added to this is the affair involving Mc Donald’s. And the ‘salmonella’ egg affair in Franceshould be noted.

Cases like this one: Rsa in Florence, they feel ill after the meal: 3 elderly people hospitalised die, 114 intoxicated people are likely to increase.

P.S.: there were 4 RSAs.

Compiled 1 October 2024 and updated 18 February 2025

Quick Take — Italy stands out among the ‘most organic’ countries in Europe with 2.3 million hectares the Italian organic area represents 19.8% of the total agricultural area

This means that, thanks to organic farming, one fifth of Italian farmland is free of pesticides . In essence , organic is a niche market – which for various reasons has not been able to express its full potential – for example, the % of consumption in France is almost double (5.6%) that of Italy – but which has a strong positive impact on Italy’s environment and thus also on our health.

Guido Venosta Foundation

P.S.: Italy ranks third for organic farmland only after France (2.9 million hectares) and Spain (2.7 million hectares)

Quick Take — Francesco Mutti: ‘stop importing tomato paste from China or add a 60% tax on it so that its cost is not so different from that of Italian products’

Financial Times. It is not only a commercial problem but also an ethical one – forced labour in China, as in textiles – and one that concerns the safety of the products that reach our tables (use of pesticides banned in the EU).

On the subject read this piece and this in-depth analysis.