The European Parliament voted on July 11 to reject a proposal to create detailed production rules for organic sea salt and other organic salts for food and feed. IN the absense of those rules, organic salt operators may be certified as organic on the basis of the principles and general production rules of Regulation (EU) 2018/848, and European Union Member States have the option to use detailed national production rules.

Young consumers in Europe are more open to genetically modified foods, especially if those foods provide a boost in nutrition, reports Food Navigator. Research from Mintel found that about 23% of Germans aged 16-24, compared to 13% overall, would choose a product with GMO ingredients if it were more nutritions. Likewise, 40% of Brits aged 16-44 would buy genetically modified produce if it were more nutritious.

The UK's Council on Geostrategy published an overview of how to negotiate with Chinese counterparts, based on diplomatic experience. 

The Soil Association Standards for Great Britain, Organic Standards for Great Britain, the Soil Association Standards for Northern Ireland, and the Organic Standards for Northern Ireland have been updated.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency changed its guidance for pre-market clearance for seeds. Despite protest from the organic sector, the changes will require pre-market clearance for any plant that releases seeds into the environment only when the plant contains foreign DNA; the plant has a new commercially viable herbicide tolerance trait; or, the plant is of a new crop species or is intended for new uses in Canada. This paves the way for gene-edited seeds to enter the marketplace without pre-approval. As a result of organic sector concerns, the government created a Government-Industry Steering Committee on Plant Breeding Innovations Transparency and will oversee a private sector Canadian Variety Transparency Database.

European Union has proposed revisions to its legislation on packaging and packaging waste. If the proposal is approved, by January 2030 all packaging would be required to be recyclable, and some packaging would have to be compostable, among other criteria.

The European Parliament has passed anti-deforestration measures that, once formally endorsed by the Council, would require key goods sold in or exported from Europe to come from supply chains that do not degrade forests in Europe or around the world. Products include palm oil, cattle, soy, coffee, cocoa, timber, and rubber, and products derived from them. The regulations  include due diligence and traceability requirements for operators and traders.

Canadian agricultural producers will have access to a new set of federal and provincial programs under the new $3.5 billion CAD, five-year Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (SCAP). 
The agreement includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and $2.5 billion in cost-shared programs and activities funded by federal, provincial and territorial governments.
To best support producers with on-farm adoption of beneficial practices while reflecting local conditions and regional needs, the program will be designed and delivered by provinces and territories.

April 1
https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/department/initiatives/sustainable-cana...

The government will increase payments by an average of 25% for farmers who convert to organic through the Countryside Stewardship program. Farmers must be enrolled in a certification program before applying for the funding by August 18, 2023. Payments are also available for farming practices that are aligned with organic practices through the new Sustainable Farming Incentives program.