Articles

The Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union | Global Dialogue office in Brussels is commissioning a comparative policy paper on competing visions of global order and the role(s) of the EU. Applications should be submitted by Wednesday 21 October 2026, noon CEST.

While most analysis of Brazil's upcoming 4 October election focuses on whether Lula or Flávio Bolsonaro will lead the country, for the EU's climate agenda, however, this is only half the question. Congress is already willing to override the president on environmental law, and is likely to move further to the right. This could undermine the green promises of the EU-Mercosur agreement, regardless of who wins. Brussels should watch the National Congress, especially the Senate, as closely as the presidency.

On 4 October, Brazil will elect a new head of state. Our office director Regine Schönenberg analyses what is at stake globally and why neither Lula da Silva nor Flávio Bolsonaro would change the country’s entrenched power dynamics.

New ‘Agribusiness Atlas’ reveals how a handful of corporations increasingly control what we eat.

The world faces its fourth wave of global food price crises in just 20 years. This atlas not only documents the damaging impacts of corporate power within the food system but also highlights practical alternatives and successful efforts to curb corporate dominance and guarantee access to healthy, affordable food.

Food is essential for survival. Yet, corporate power and the climate crisis are jeopardising our food system. Discover in 12 concise lessons how a handful of corporations dominate markets and how a fair food policy can be achieved.

Today, just a handful of corporations determine what is grown in our fields, what ends up on supermarket shelves, and ultimately what we eat. This concentration of market power did not emerge overnight

Corporations and their lobby groups often enjoy privileged access to European and national policymakers. In terms of budget, the number of lobbyists, and meetings with officials, they greatly outnumber trade unions and civil society organisations which defend the public interest.

The world's largest meat and dairy corporations emit as much greenhouse gas as entire countries and resist limits using fossil fuel lobby tactics. Data is key to accountability, but progress on reporting remains slow and under threat.

A handful of corporations now shape what kind of fish and seafood reach dinner plates worldwide. The industry has grown more concentrated and industrialised, from Norwegian salmon farms to global supply chains. Aquaculture has surged, yet wild stocks remain under pressure as fleets push further offshore. The shift is changing who profits and at what cost to consumers and the environment.