FAO: State of Food and Agriculture 2023
The Food and Agriculture Organization recently published its annual flagship report, the State of Food and Agriculture. This year’s edition introduces the concept of hidden costs and benefits of agrifood systems and proposes a framework through which these can be assessed: true cost accounting (TCA). The report aims to initiate a process that will equip decision-makers to steer agrifood systems towards environmental, social and economic sustainability.
Brazil: IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards
According to the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Foundation, Brazil plans to incorporate the International Sustainability Standards Board’s (ISSB) IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards into the Brazilian regulatory framework. The roadmap set out by the Brazilian Ministry of Finance and the Comissão de Valores Mobiliários (CVM) envisages voluntary use of the standards starting in 2024 and mandatory use as of January 1, 2026.
EU: Parliament Adopts Position on Packaging and Packaging Waste Legislation
On November 22, 2023, the European Parliament adopted its position on new EU-wide rules on packaging and packaging waste. The revamped text will become the Parliament’s mandate for negotiations with EU governments, once the Council has adopted its position.
EU: Parliament Rejects Sustainable Pesticide Use Regulation
On November 22, 2023, the European Parliament voted against a Commission proposal on the sustainable use of plant protection products. With this vote, the Parliament has effectively rejected the proposal and closed its first reading. The Council still has to decide on its own position on the proposal to determine whether it is definitively rejected or returns to Parliament for a second reading.