Dairy farming is currently facing a number of challenges. On the one hand, the products have to meet high environmental standards and animal welfare requirements, on the other hand the market demands cheap products. Kirsten Wosnitza, who runs a farm of 120 dairy cows in Schleswig-Holstein with her husband Gerd...

The emerging food sovereignty paradigm offers a viable alternative for food, farming and well−being in terraced landscapes and the territories they are embedded in. This paper first defines ‘food sovereignty’ and briefly describes the origins and history of this policy framework for food and agriculture. The second part of this...

This document represents an attempt by the Chair to capture the richness of the contributions presented during the Symposium by different stakeholders and experts, to be more fully registered in the full report of the Symposium to be prepared by FAO, and does not necessarily reflect the opinions and views...

Changes in farming and land-use practices over the last 60 years have resulted in a significant decline in overall agrobiodiversity. This decline in domesticated crop and livestock breeds, as well as edible wild plant and animal species, is occurring at an incredible rate.This paper focuses on the contributions that agroecology...

La salud y el derecho a una alimentación adecuada son derechos que se encuentran avalados y secundados por numerosos tratados, acuerdos y jurisprudencia desde el nivel internacional hasta el local. Sin embargo, a pesar de los compromisos, nos encontramos ante una situación de emergencia debido al ininterrumpido aumento de la...

Maize is the predominant crop in Zambia, both in terms of production and consumption, and levels of crop diversity on Zambian farms tend to be very low. The country’s maize-centric food system contributes to poverty, malnutrition, and vulnerability to drought, pests and diseases. Growing a wider variety of nutritious crops...

Romanian Rural Network News no.6/2018.  a 

El informe ha sido elaborado por la Fundación Entretantos, con el apoyo de la Red de Ciudades por la Agroecología y la Fundación RUAF. Consiste en el estudio comparado de políticas alimentarias desarrolladas en once ciudades integradas en dicha Red, partiendo de un análisis de políticas alimentarias urbanas a nivel internacional y...

The three-year project “Rural Development through Integrated Forest and Water Resource Management in Southeast Europe (LEIWW)” is jointly implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Standing Working Group for Regional Rural Development (SWG RRD). The project aims to improve the regional capacities for sustainable management of...

Agriculture in Europe results in the production of food for both the European population and for the export sector. Significant environmental and social problems have emerged with the intensification of European agriculture. These include the loss of biodiversity, the contamination of soils, water, and food with pesticides, and the eutrophication...

The benefits of mixed methods are well recognised. Using mixed methods, researchers are able to overcome shortcomings inherent in individual methods while enhancing the validity and reliability of their research findings. Mixed methods are commonly used in cross-sectional studies – to answer research questions, and/or explore contemporary social issues. However,...

In the villages of Samrong Tong, district of Kampong Speu province, Cambodia, women vegetable farmers are at the forefront of promoting agroecology. In this short documentary, watch how the Women Organic Vegetable Producer Group, with the support of the Cambodian Center for Study and Development in Agriculture (CEDAC), are able to...

The global environmental and social-economic crises of industrialized agriculture have led to the emergence of agroecology as an alternative approach aiming to increase the ecological, social and economic sustainability of agri–food systems. The ‘multi-level perspective’ is now a widely used framework to understand and promote the upscaling of local innovation niches, such as...

Romanian Rural Network Newsletter, with a lot of news from Romania and EU

In the next section, we analyze some ontological mismatches of the main sustainable transition frameworks and identify debates and gaps in current research. Instead of reinforcing the understanding of sustainability issues, we conclude that a hasty combination of frameworks without critical reflection on their ontologies generates theoretical inconsistencies and the...

Romanian Rural Network Newsletter, with news article regarding Rural development in Romania and in EU

A growing body of scientific evidence shows that agroecology innovations and practices are technically feasible, affordable, politically socially and culturally acceptable, adaptable to local circumstances and environmentally sound. This paper presents a set of evaluation criteria with which to assess innovations against such conditions.

Organic farming is one of the most dynamic sectors of the European agri-food industry. Organic farming means producing food respecting the natural life cycles, minimising the human impact on the environment. The European Union organic logo guarantees production and quality standards for organic farming, such as sustainable production, strict limitations...

Formed in 2007, Food Plant Solutions Rotary Action Group (FPS) creates science-based educational materials, which: identify highly nutritious local food plants, explain how to grow them in a sustainable, agroecological way, detail the nutritional value of the plants and describe why human bodies require those nutrients. The resources created by FPS allows people to better...

Geographical indication (GI) schemes can play a special role in promoting sustainable rural development, improving farm income and opening new export potential. Natural factors such as soil, climate and plant varieties play a major role in producing a unique product. Usually, GIs comprise knowledge and skills passed on from generation...