Agriculture is embedded in and interacts with both its ecological and social environments. Under the concept of ‘Multifunctional Agriculture’, these interactions receive attention from scientific and political communities in terms of societal functions that can be fulfilled by farms. The discourse has focused on ecological functions, while agriculture’s social contributions...

Agriculture needs to adapt to climate change to ensure food security. Agroforestry systems could help make farms more resilient, but they only constitute a fraction of farming in Europe. Is it time for change?

The past months were exciting for the ALL-Ready project and we have been working hard to prepare the future network of Agroecology Living Labs and Research Infrastructures. We are pleased to give you some insights on the project’s activities in this second edition of the ALL-Ready newsletter. Our recent activities...

Family farms’ support by legislative measures should be a crucial step for EU countries to ensure food security and a healthy environment in Europe. Therefore, the International conference - Increasing legislative support for family farms in the EU focuses on Family Farm Legislation and family farm policy at the EU member states’ level.

For many years, organic farming was and still is based on the use of the plow as the main tool for cultivating the soil. Plowing brings a considerable number of benefits to farmers, such as soil loosening and a phytosanitary effect - the regulation of diseases and pests as well as...

  The Roca brothers – Joan, Josep and Jordi – are third generation restaurateurs in their family who had a dream to start a new venture of their own. Their restaurant, Celler de Can Roca has been a great success, earning three Michelin stars and was named best restaurant in the world in...

Organic farming has countless benefits for the natural environment and society, but they are often overlooked. This article outlines some of the benefits of organic farming, exploring the role of science, consumers and research and innovation.

Ahead of the EU food initiatives such as the Sustainable food system law, Agroecology Europe proposes to adopt a food system approach on transition and to give more visibility to systemic solutions to transform our agriculture and food and make them more sustainable, healthy and fair. Among these solutions, increasing...

Pollinators, particularly bees, are essential constituents of our ecosystem, first of all as bioindicators of environmental health and second as providers of a variety in food production. They contribute to well-balanced diets and human health. In the EU around 80% of food crops, particularly fruits and vegetables, rely on animal...

“Rural Europe Takes Action – No more business as usual”, a policy guide for rural Europe by ARC2020 and Forum Synergies, launched in June 2022. Today’s extract from Rural Europe Takes Action tells the story of the Balkan Seeds Network, a network of scientists and seed savers’ organisations tapping into...

A profound transformation of agricultural production methods has become unavoidable due to the increase in the world’s population, and environmental and climatic challenges. Agroecology is now recognized as a challenging model for agricultural systems, promoting their diversification and adaptation to environmental and socio-economic contexts, with consequences for the entire agri-food...

Romeo Mikičić has been fishing in the azure waters of the Adriatic Sea for more than 40 years.The father of two is passionate about the sea and comes from generations of fishers who lived on the island of Cres, one of more than a thousand islands in the Republic of...

Many countries in Western Europe have a long tradition of applying land banking as part of the integrated toolbox of land management instruments. As with land consolidation, the traditional purpose of land banking has been to support agriculture and rural development by reducing land fragmentation and facilitating the enlargement of...

At the BIOFACH Congress, farmers, retailers, scientists, entrepreneurs and processors will come together with economists, activists and policymakers to delve deep into the future of the organic sector. We’ll take part both as speakers and organisers, representing the voices of our members. IFOAM Organics Europe will also contribute to the programme with several...

« Horticulture for a world in transition ». Taking benefits from this new context, the organizing committee is preparing an unprecedented IHC in a hybrid version, which will focus on three priorities:1) to host an outstanding scientific event,2) to reinforce the links between research, education and industry, and3) to enhance the links between Southern and...

This report is a narrative review of the effects reported in the scientific literature (peer-reviewed and indexed scientific publications showing quantitative evidence) about the relationships between a selection of nature restoration practices and food production. The reported effects are extracted from systematic reviews, meta-analyses and individual papers. As a narrative...

How is a new generation of French winegrowers responding to the extreme temperatures and droughts becoming more pronounced in recent years? This summer, Adèle Pautrat visited Sainte Marie des Crozes, an organic and biodynamic Domaine in the village of Douzens in southern France. Winery Manager Christelle Alias and her team...

Ricardo Soares, a Portuguese apple and pear grower, is a young innovator. He has brought many innovations to his farmer colleagues. As a young farmer, he also encountered some obstacles and found some solutions to overcome them.

Costantino is one of the farmers in the Operational Group SISCCCA. The project develops sustainable integrated systems to control the brown marmorated stink bug.

Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL October 2022 Newsletter News highlighting FiBL’s research, training and advisory services