Welcome to the first edition of the LEADER newsletter! Every quarter, the newsletter will bring you a round-up of the main LEADER-related activities facilitated by the EU CAP Network and its national partners, as well as inspiring LEADER stories from the ground.

The systemic approach of organic farming contributes to climate mitigation, supports the adaptation of farmers to the consequences of climate change and increases the resilience of farming systems, while protecting and enhancing biodiversity.  Common practices in organic farming, such as crop rotations and using organic fertiliser, and the fact that organic...

Gender equality continues to be an important strategic objective for all European policies. Hence the new Policy Insight on Enhancing gender equality in EU agri-food systems highlights how the CAP is purposely designed to support actions and targets that benefit all EU citizens. It confirms the CAP’s strategic emphasis on...

 (IoT) offers innovative solutions that can provide new and precise information in real-time. A Bulgarian Operational Group is contributing to the digital transformation of the organic beekeeping sector, Tanya Gyuryusheva-Nikolova tells us “IoT improves efficiency and sustainability from hive management to product distribution.” There are around 615,000 beekeepers in the EU...

Carbon Farming is the new hype in agriculture. A proposal for a Certification Framework of Carbon Removals was proposed back in November by the Commission and there is a strong push by the Swedish presidency and French government to make it happen quickly. But can a Europe-wide Carbon Farming program...

This video explains the organic approach to plant health care, gives insights into the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulation (SUR), and explains what policy makers need to do to reach the reduction goals set by the EU Green Deal's Farm to Fork strategy.

This year’s Oxford Real Farming Conference (ORFC) felt more necessary than ever. Gathering in person for the first time since January 2020, the great and the good of agroecology turned their attention to the pressing matters of the day: the intersectional crises of biodiversity, climate, energy and cost of living....

Hoeksche Waard is an island located in the south of the Netherlands. This rural area lies below sea level, and controlling water on agricultural fields is a major issue, especially in the case of heavy rainfall. An Operational Group was set up to test and optimise a sub-soil system to...

BIZnet, a Polish LEADER project, has successfully used fun and engaging innovative digital tools to promote youth entrepreneurship. © Association «Razem na wyżyny »  LEADER has been at the vanguard of efforts to value young people’s potential to improve the current and future prospects of rural communities within the EU. Local Action Groups...

On 25 April, the Food Policy Coalition (FPC) held its first in person-meeting in Brussels to launch its report “Sustainable Food Systems Law: Policy recommendations for a meaningful transition“. The FPC urged the need for a new legal framework for Sustainable Food Systems that looks at the whole food system: from production to...

Expanding the benefits of LEADER is a key goal for Sweden in the context of the new CAP. More rural areas are now included in LAG territories and the country’s new LAGs are already operational. Each edition of the LEADER newsletter will feature a “what’s happening with LEADER in …” story....

Sustainable public procurement has countless benefits that make it a strategic lever to trigger a change in the food system. Indeed, increasing the share of organic food products in public procurement makes it more sustainable and can generate a positive impact on kitchen staff training, waste reduction, health, canteen budgets,...

In this issue we present our new Board, cover recent political developments (e.g. on the EU Farm to Fork, Organic Regulation, Animal Welfare, GMOs..) and present key upcoming events such as the EU Organic Day, the EU Organic Awards and the European Organic Congress. Read it to discover more!

The INCREASE Horizon 2020 project proposes a new approach to promote the conservation and use of plant genetic resources. ‘Participatory science’ is placed at the middle of the project, involving stakeholders and citizens in the development of a new model and strategy for the conservation and use of seeds. The...

IIED's climate change newsletter is sent out every two months to keep you updated on our research to shape development policy and practice for climate resilience, equitable global governance and locally led adaptation to climate change.In this edition we invite you to join us for the launch of the Anticipatory...

Exploring Georgia’s gastronomy offers tourists unique insights into the country and its culture.   Enriching tourists’ experiences also has the potential to attract more visitors which can generate vital income in rural communities.   The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) are...

Despite the acknowledged benefits of crop diversification, the transition towards more diversified cropping systems needs to be supported, mainly due to socio-technical lock-ins favoring major dominant crop species. This calls for the development of new approaches to support the design of locally tailored diversified cropping systems. This paper aims to...

In a new CAP that largely maintains the status quo, social conditionality emerges as one of the few truly innovative elements. But is it going to be a real game-changer? This new legislative tool has the potential to improve the working conditions of millions of farm workers. But does it...

The Access to Land Network is releasing a new handbook to provide guidance for officials and staff of local governments on how to make a difference in the way agricultural land is used and shared, for the benefit of people and the planet. Local action is key to a regenerative future....

 TNC partnerships help communities achieve results that they could not have achieved by working alone. The LEADER TNC project ‘Living Museums’ shows how this works in practice. LAGs use their transnational cooperation (TNC) funds to help local communities learn from peers in different areas and countries about new ways of developing...