agriculture
On St. Patrick's day, drink Poitín, the world’s strongest alcohol
You’ll often find it in a clear, unmarked glass bottle, innocently snuggled at the back of a neighbour’s fridge, but the real Poteen (pronounced 'putch-een') isn’t sold in any shop in Dublin. St. Patrick apparently brewed it, and few people in Ireland haven’t tasted this ultra-alcoholic brew, but the lethal concoction has been illegal here since 1661
agriculture, dublin, alcohol, england, poteen, ireland, beverages
Italian, French and Bulgarian press vs genetically modified potato
On 3 March the European commission gave the green light for the 'Amflora', used for the production of industrial starch. This was the first time since 1998 that it has approved a GMO for cultivation. Some commentators say Brussels has bowed to the pressure of agriculture companies; others claim this paves the way for a better future
agriculture, ogm, eurotopics, potato, politics, european commission, food security
Rural Spain: can love really arrive in a wagon?
Since the fifties, villages all over Spain have been losing their inhabitants to the lure of the bright lights of the cities. Over the decades a new curious initiative has arisen to remedy this loss and to console those who have been left alone. If Mohammed won’t come to the mountain, the mountain - or in this case the women - will have to come to Mohammed – in a wagon
Volunteering: what’s a Wwoofer?
They can repair a tractor in Poland, make goats cheese in Chile, pick brussel sprouts in Belgium or olives in Spain, build a wooden shelter and dry-pit toilets in Finland or herd cows on horseback in Bolivia. And plenty more besides for the 'worldwide opportunities on organic farms' moniker
agriculture, eurogeneration, monde, nature, ecology, wwoofing, travel
Drug trade: Chefchaouen, Morocco is Spain's Amsterdam
'Le Rif – paradis du Kif” (The Rif – paradise for Kif). The rhyme has become the tourist slogan for Chefchaouen, a mountainous village in North Morocco well renowned for its blue medina quarter and it’s cannabis plantations. These plantations are the point of origin for tonnes of the drug that are headed for Europe
agriculture, morocco, drugs, weed, spain, family, european union
CAP? The queen farms on EU money
Normally the EU doesn't shrink from using showing citizens with golden plaques and stardust whereabouts European money goes. With regards to cereal, meat and milk this is somewhat different. The agricultural subsidies, which were originally meant to support the agricultural community, now flow in quite different directions. Latest news titbit from Brussels
agriculture, cap, germany, united kingdom, spain, globalisation, common agricultural policy
Sale via internet: end of middle man for agricultural products
The new ‘liberating’ direction of European agriculture is looking more closely at the consumer market when it comes to establishing prices and demand for agricultural products on the continent. The internet is taking over from Marx in the agricultural revolution
agriculture, fair trade, internet, politics, common agricultural policy, economy, society
Austria’s ban on cultivating genetically modified sweetcorn
But is Europe's 'sweetcorn of discord' a great triumph with barely any consequences for Austria?
agriculture, hungary, world trade organisation, genetically modified organisms, gm sweetcorn, austria, health
Cities: Clermont-Ferrand boils
Nestled in the centre of France, the 'Michelin city' is darkened by its volcanic hinterland. Protests against the Bologna education reforms - brought in by Europe - simmer within, whilst protests against Brussels’ liberalism spew from young farmers of the Auvergne region. Would the socialists have a solution? After all, they have been in power in the city since the second world war. The reform seismometer may just erupt at the European elections in June 2009. After Tallinn and Paris, four journalists and one photographer from our network explore the third stop in cafebabel.com's monthly 'cities' mission, 'EUdebate on the Ground'
- Education: Bologna process, sales time in French universities
- HandiCAP: freedom-hunting French farmers, as European as Parisians
- Clermont-Ferrand – where are the right-wing?
- Michelin manufacturing ‘malady’: is recession causing flat tyres in France?
- Photos: hanging out with four Roma communities in the French Auvergne
Biofuels: how green is the green gold rush in Senegal?
Europe’s Sustainable Energy Week takes place in Brussels from 9 to 13 February, with biofuel at the centre of the debates. Is it possible for Europe to go green without causing famine in western Africa? Feature
agriculture, écologie, renewable energies, feature, environmental protection, biofuel, environment
Pan-EU couples to divorce easier
Harmonising the first divorce regulation, bad airlines and fishermen aid – your weekly news from Brussels
agriculture, justiz, enlargement, scheidung, autoindustrie, fluggesellschaften, employment
Fabienne Bruguière: ‘the agricultural world can be hostile to women’
The forty-something winemaker from the Pic St. Loup commune in France’s Langeudoc region on love, green fingers and the increasing role of women in wine-making
agriculture, languedoc, weinanbau, wine, brunch, mas theleme, fabienne bruguiere
Hungry Senegalese fishermen
Amidst a global food crisis and scarcer fish, the fishermen 'victims' of EU commercial agreements set off in their pirogues for the shores of Europe
agriculture, photogallery, labour, immigration, foreign policy, family, food security
Batman, goats and internet in Cavas do Monte, Portugal
The living conditions in the north Portuguese mountaintops of S. Pedro do Sul have hardly changed in hundreds of years. Bit by bit, however, the uniting, modernising world is moving in, and the children are moving out
agriculture, devolution, future of europe, paris, tourism, covas do monte, portugal
In Senegal, farmers versus Europe
Small-time Senegalese producers are speaking out against the Economic Partership Agreements (EPAs) negotiated on 8 and 9 December at Lisbon. For them, the battle against famine means being opposed to market liberalisation
agriculture, lisbon, third world, western africa, food, senegal, world affairs
Nuclear energy: new wave in Europe
Brussels goes far east, caps the CAP and ideologises nuclear energy in the first EU forum - take a bite of the latest news from Brussels
agriculture, politics, belgium, asia, energy, brussels, news
Food for Life
The organic lobby is suspicious of GM and biotechnology, but the European Commission wants the know-how.
agriculture, investigation, jean quatremer, food security, health, international trade, economy
Do you speak Eurofood?
Brussels has announced a truly European food policy. They call it ‘From Farm to Fork’. And of course they wish you ‘bon appétit!’
agriculture, common agricultural policy, consumers, yum nyam, european commission, economy, european union
Piergiorgio Rosetti: Peace as a political instrument
The case for a European peace-corps is the strongest it’s ever been, Piergiorgio Rosetti tells Café Babel.
agriculture, kosovo, peacekeeping, israel, middle east, europe, world affairs
