The dedicated workshop will be held under the working title "Workshop on integrated maritime policy and marine spatial planning in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea". The European Commission's contribution will encompass the co-organisation of the Launching event of the 7-day workshop, meant to take place on 20 September 2016...

Filmed on Achill Island in September 2015 this video highlights the Natura 2000 habitats Machair Grassland and Upland Heath, both present on the Island. Supporting the type of traditional extensive farming that is practiced here is essential for maintaining these habitats. Taking a more targeted approach to agri-environment schemes can...

Waterford Institute of Technology’s Telecommunications, Software and Systems Group (TSSG) with their SFI CONNECT partners are holding a workshop with major leaders in policy, industry and academia to explore and discuss “Europe’s Opportunity in Digital Agriculture”. Speaking on the day will be EU Agricultural & Rural Development Commissioner Phil Hogan...

The facts speak for themselves: more than half the global population now live in urban areas. According to forecasts, three-quarters of the global population, i.e. around 7 billion people, will be living in cities by 2050. Alongside globalisation, urbanisation is indisputably one of the main trends of our time. Everywhere,...

Ever since he took office, Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan has promoted the interests of the livestock sector while ignoring health and environmental warnings related to over-consumption of meat

Este material didáctico sobre Producción Ecológica se enmarca como una de las acciones a desarrollar de estos programa formativos, con el objeto de proporcionar una herramienta útil de trabajo tanto a los alumnos y alumnas que asistan a estos cursos de agricultura ecológica como a los docentes en esta materia....

The document presents a synopsis of the regional drivers of change and of the regional development context in which FAO will provide future support to countries. The trends and drivers of change were identified through a regional strategic review conducted in 2015, which helped to identify major FAO areas of...

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was launched at the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in October 2015 while the goals under the 2030 Agenda are universally applicable, it is expected national targets are determined in line with global targets. These should take into account different baseline...

Financial instruments co-funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development are a sustainable and efficient way to invest in the growth and development of people, businesses and resources in the agriculture and forestry sectors as well as in the rural economy. They can support a broad range of development...

Smart specialisation (S3) is an example of fruitful interaction between science and policy. The concept was first developed in the context of the high-level expert group on ‘Knowledge for Growth’ created by the European Commission. It was recast through work by researchers both within and outside the Commission to foster...

ORC’s annual Organic Producers’ Conference is the event where organic and other producers interested in ecological approaches to sustainable food production come together with researchers and advisers to share ideas on making agriculture perform better, for their businesses and society. This year we will focus on what we have in common...

This ENRD workshop focused on the designation of ‘Areas facing natural or other specific constraints’ (ANCs) by programme authorities. It covered many aspects related to the implementation of the new ANCs system, specifically focusing on techniques for applying biophysical criteria and fine-tuning, as well as on payment schemes. The workshop further...

Fundatia ADEPT Transilvania is a landscape stewardship NGO, registered as a charity in 2004 in Romania and in the UK. ADEPT has been working for 10 years to protect the nature-rich, farmed landscapes of Transylvania, and to support the traditional farming communities who have created them over centuries and who...

To answer this question, I would like to recall Alexander Wezel’s definition of agroecology. Our French colleague defined it, first, as a science. This is obvious, since agroecology generates scientific knowledge in the strictest sense. However, agroecology, like many other hybrid disciplines (for example, political ecology, environmental history, and ecological...

For the European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC), present at this meeting, this is the perfect opportunity for the European Union to finally acknowledge the true value of the invaluable expertise of sheep farmers in our countries, whether in polyculture farming in lowland areas or in more difficult mountain or island...

The central theme of Terra Madre Salone del Gusto 2016 has a profound meaning: loving the earth is cultivating it, taking care of it, working it with love, preserving the environment and the planet that we live on. Loving the earth is what must define this moment in history, and...

FRESHFEL and AREFLH created in 2014 a European taskforce for research and innovation. This group of experts presented in 2015 a strategic agenda to the European Commission that focused on the priorities of research for the fruit and vegetable sector in the framework of Horizon 2020. This task force found it...

FAO recognizes and re-affirms that CSOs are critical partners across a wide spectrum of activities at the local, national, and international level. The autonomy and independence of CSO's is a central value that is undoubtedly recognized by FAO: CSOs in the region  recognize that, all issues and the policies discussed...

Association of private farming of the Czech Republic organized an International Conference on family farms and Common Agricultural Policy of EU. The event was held in Brno on 4 - 6th of April 2016. 10 European countries attended the conference. Herewith volume 5. Presentation of Latvia

SIMRA (Social Innovation in Marginalised Rural Areas) is a four-year project (2016-2020) funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme. It aims to advance understanding of social innovation and innovative governance in agriculture, forestry and rural development – and how to boost them – in marginalised rural areas across Europe...