Alan Matthews

Europe’s farmers lost the Mercosur battle. They’re still ahead. Europe’s farmers are a minority. You wouldn’t know it from the political power they wield.

Excellent overview of the strength of Europe's farm lobby in this Politico article by Bartosz Brzezinski today www.politico.eu/article/euro...

Lessons from the new U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans I am not an expert in nutrition and, if I am honest, I have been sceptical of the significance of occasional health-related claims such as the claimed link between red meat and cancer. But that there ...

New US Dietary Guidelines for Americans have been published bearing the strong imprint of the Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert Kennedy Jr. There are some welcome innovations, some that will be more controversial. Read my thoughts on the publication process capreform.eu/lessons-from...

Potential increase in CAP funding in next MFF Commission President von der Leyen sent a letter to the Cypriot Presidency of the Council and to the President of the European Parliament yesterday 6 January 2026, in which she proposed to make additi...

The Commission yesterday proposed a sweetener in the MFF 2028-2034 budget proposal which could potentially increase minimum amount ringfenced for CAP income support by around 15% (with qualifications). Read my view on these caveats, see which MSs are the biggest winners capreform.eu/potential-in...

The role of borrowing in the EU’s MFF budget discussions The New Year 2026 will see negotiations on the EU’s next medium-term budget step up in gear. Many Member States have called to set a deadline of end 2026 to agree on the next Multi-annual Financial Fr...

I explore the role of borrowing in the next EU medium term budget discussions. Despite an apparent ban on borrowing, it has become an increasingly prominent instrument in the EU's fiscal arsenal. I explain how this has happened and what it implies for future spending capreform.eu/the-role-of-...

'Mirroring': The scope and limitations of EU trade agreements and autonomous actions | Think Tank | European Parliament 'Mirroring': The scope and limitations of EU trade agreements and autonomous actions

Important study for the International Trade Committee of the European Parliament examines the debate around 'mirror clauses' applying sustainability standards to EU imports www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en...

My paper with Alex Gohin on “The European Union-Mercosur Association Agreement: Implications for the EU Livestock Sector” has just been published online in the Journal of Agricultural Economics onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/author..., with perfect timing as the Commission proceeds with ratification

Imre Ferto has written an illuminating blog post on the UK Agricultural Economics Society website on how Artificial Intelligence is transforming economics research lnkd.in/drki-MDR. It made me realise how much there is to learn, but also the potential to make significant advances in knowledge.

The post 2027 CAP and MFF proposals for the EU; first reflections on their environmental implications  - IEEP AISBL This briefing provides initial reflections on whether they provide the mechanisms and scale of funding needed to drive progress to meeting the EU’s sustainability objectives and targets for the coming...

This deep analysis of what the Commission's CAP proposals mean for environmental and climate action by farmers suggests there will be far less emphasis on these objectives in the next CAP ieep.eu/publications...

Many news media today have picked up this study linking weather extremes with food price spikes by examining individual products and not just aggregate food prices, open access iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1...

One year after the elections, a deeply unstable European Parliament - Institut Jacques Delors

This valuable analysis of the instability in the European Parliament by the Jacques Delors Institute one year after the last election and its impact on EU decision-making is well worth reading, very well informed and many useful if unsettling insights institutdelors.eu/en/publicati....

Trade aspects of the Strategic Dialogue on the future of the EU agriculture and the impact of trade on the competitiveness and sustainability of European agriculture | Think Tank | European Parliament Trade aspects of the Strategic Dialogue on the future of the EU agriculture and the impact of trade on the competitiveness and sustainability of European agriculture

This paper 'Trade aspects of the Strategic Dialogue on the future of the EU agriculture and the impact of trade on the competitiveness and sustainability of European agriculture' for the European Parliament's International Trade Committee may be of interest www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en...

Insurance and Risk Management Tools for Agriculture in the EU Climate related risks are a significant source of uncertainty for agricultural production, farm resilience, and the broader bioeconomy value chain. There is growing evidence that climate change is inc...

EAFRD fi-compass has published a comprehensive analysis (190 pages) of insurance and risk management tools for EU agriculture, providing recommendations on how to improve access to finance and mitigate climate risks www.fi-compass.eu/library/mark...

Insurance and Risk Management Tools for Agriculture in the EU Climate related risks are a significant source of uncertainty for agricultural production, farm resilience, and the broader bioeconomy value chain. There is growing evidence that climate change is…

EAFRD fi-compass publishes 190-page overview of insurance and risk management tools for EU agriculture, covering climate risks to 2050, EU agricultural insurance schemes and their performance www.fi-compass.eu/library/mark...

As the EU Budget Conference 2025 kicks off, Agora Agriculture outlines policy options for a simpler and more impactful agricultural spending under the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

The Commission aspires towards a simpler, more focused budget better delivering on 🇪🇺 policy objectives. 🧵

I look forward to taking part in this Visionary webinar May 30 on the potential for economic instruments to drive sustainability in the dairy sector, details and registration here visionary-project.eu/events/visio...

Looks like an interesting report, but why pay a web design firm a hefty sum to make your report illegible :). It is not possible to read a double page spread on a 14" laptop. Of course, one can zoom out and scroll around with some difficulty, but why make it difficult to read in the first place?

OECD working paper provides literature review of effectiveness of GHG emissions mitigation measures in AFOLU sector in G20 countries, while also noting negative social and economic effects www.oecd.org/en/publicati...

This is no trade agreement, but only the potential concept of a possible plan for an eventual trade agreement. Both sides are playing each other. The key provision is this:

"Both the United States and the United Kingdom recognize that this document does not constitute a legally binding agreement."

Democratic legitimacy of the GMO authorisation procedure | Think Tank | European Parliament Democratic legitimacy of the GMO authorisation procedure

The Commission will make a statement on the democratic legitimacy of the GMO authorisation procedure at the May plenary of the European Parliament - explanation of background here www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etud...

The Budget Committee of the European Parliament has prepared its draft report for the EP's position on the next MFF to be voted at the May plenary session. Calls for 'adequate and predictable funding' for the CAP but not necessarily additional funding www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/docume...

Russian ammonia flowing freely through Finland to the European markets. Wagons at the Kouvola railway station this morning.

Navigating EU fertiliser policy through turbulent times The governance of nitrogen fertiliser markets in the European Union has long been shaped by a fundamental and persistent tension between the competing interests of farmers and domestic fertiliser prod...

The political economy of the EU fertiliser market is complex, given the competing interests of farmers and fertiliser producers, and the need for an overall reduction in nitrogen use. I discuss some ideas for a successful transition in this blog post capreform.eu/navigating-e...

Import dependence for nitrogen supply Nitrogen is a critical input to agricultural production. In the EU, approximately half of this nutrient is supplied from organic livestock-derived sources while the other half comes from mineral nitro...

The EU's dependence on imports of nitrogenous fertilisers and the increased share of Russia in 2024 are a growing source of concern. My blog post discusses capreform.eu/import-depen...

Trump II tariffs and the EU agri-food sector That the US now intends to impose additional tariffs of 25% on EU exports (along with those of other countries) is now stated US policy following remarks President Trump made at his first cabinet meet...

I am reposting my blog post from Feb 27 on impact of Trump tariffs on EU agrifood exports to US. My analysis still stands, though it seems applying retaliatory tariffs on US spirits is not as simple as I thought capreform.eu/trump-ii-tar...

COPA-COGECA asks Commission to dismiss the various AgETS options presented in Ecologic Institute, IEEP and Trinomincs study published Nov 2023 based on polluter pays principle and instead focus on technological solutions and promotion of voluntary carbon markets

Fitting the CAP into the next MFF long-term budget The Commission Communication on The road to the next multiannual financial framework published in February 2025 put forward several proposals for the reform of the MFF structure prior to the formal le...

I weigh up pros and cons of merging the CAP with other funds in the MFF and conclude that largely maintaining the status quo is the preferred option capreform.eu/fitting-the-.... Its a long read, but summary is in the Conclusions.

JRC working paper projects EU population changes forward to 2040 by type of region - urban, intermediate and rural, with remote rural regions experiencing both ageing and population decline, chart shows trends by NUTS3 regions joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/jrc-news-and...

Bombs, mines and chemicals: how agricultural soils in Ukraine have been ravaged by war After the war in Ukraine, hundreds of thousands of hectares will have to be surveyed and demined and countless craters will have to be refilled. A recent study by Wageningen University & Research…

Shocking and depressing to read about this @Wageningen University Research how war in Ukraine is damaging its fertile soil with long-term impacts on its potential agricultural productivity www.wur.nl/en/news-wur/...

Regulatory tools for a healthy and sustainable diet - CentAUR University Publications

A University of Reading study lists recommendations for regulatory tools to achieve a healthy and sustainable diet in the UK, notes achieving healthy status requires focus on food environments while sustainability requires focus on changing producer behaviour

Call for EU Action on Regenerative Agriculture Carlsberg Group has partnered with Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and One Planet Business for Biodiversity (OP2B) to launch Sowing Change, a report outlining six actionable recommendations to…

Interesting when Carlsberg and Boston Consulting Group make a plea on behalf of the food and drink industry for swift action to accelerate the shift to regenerative agriculture to improve climate resilience and safeguard biodiversity