In Our “Did You Know” Series We Share Interesting Facts About Plant Science And Agriculture.

June 17th is the world day to combat desertification and drought. This issue affects not only arid regions, but also parts of Europe. In this endeavour, even the smallest effort can make a difference: Some farmers are revisiting an age-old material (wool) to tackle today’s challenges like drought.

When we think about barriers to trade, tariffs or quotas usually come to mind. Yet, in the 18^th century shipping living plants around the world was a challenging and “salty” affair.

The apple was chosen as a symbol of the Polish presidency of the EU Council. Poland is the largest apples producer in Europe and 4th largest in the world.

Mulled wine is one of the most popular drink enjoyed at this time of year, having characterized the smell of Christmas celebrations for centuries. The EU is the biggest producer and exporter of wine globally, accounting for 64% of global production and  €17.9 billion of exports.

The EU is one of the world’s leading exporters of agri-foods, exporting in 2023 products worth €228 Billion while the value of imports is only €158 Billion.