Agroecology is much talked about, and practiced in many regions, but how does it relate to the word of policy-making? In some countries such as France, agroecology forms the basis of emerging agri-food policy – albeit in a contested and sometimes contradictory way.  Since the time of ecologically progressive Agriculture Minister...

This report (prepared under The BOND Project) seeks to present the most relevant best legal practices in the particular areas, discovered with cooperation and assistance from the partners, in the hope that they will be useful to facilitate collective actions, and to ensure access to sustainable markets for the small...

Agroecology Europe (AEEU) is an association of members that want to exchange knowledge and experiences on agroecology and to support the transition toward agroecological practices and policies. Together with local farmers, universities, social movement organisations and non-governmental organisations, the second Agroecology Europe Forum was organised to support exchange, reflection and bottom-up contributions. It took...

The latest IPCC report sets the objective of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, 2070 at the latest. The sustainable intensification of agricultural production, in a land sparing logic, is most often considered as a necessary step to achieve this. In contrast, this Study questions the potential contribution of a more...

This open access book provides a panoramic view of the evolution of Spanish agriculture from 1900 to the present, offering a more diverse picture to the complex and multidimensional reality of agrarian production. With a clear transdisciplinary ambition, the book applies an original and innovative theoretical and methodological tool, termed Agrarian Social...

This course for EU fisheries monitoring centres’ operators on vessel tracking systems is a training manuscript. It can be used by EU Member States competent authorities and the European Commission for the training of their staff. The objective of this course is to provide an overview of the wide variety...

The monthl newsletter of LIFE

At a European policy level, the ‘EU Action for Smart Villages’ was officially launched in the European Parliament during the Spring of 2017 by the EU Commissioners for Agriculture (Phil Hogan), Regional Development (Corina Creţu) and Mobility (Violeta Bulc). It has received major support from the EU Parliament which promoted...

In the brave new world of fisheries control, all catch reporting to be electronic

Dutch dairy farmer Matté Eikelenboom explores crop diversification in his grazing land, to stimulate soil life and improve the health of his cows. His mixed pastures show promising results for the quality of his feed and the health of his animals. The variety of species also helps increase organic matter...

This new edition of the State of Mediterranean Forests aims to demonstrate the importance of Mediterranean forests to implementing solutions to tackle global issues such as climate change and population increase. The report is divided into five parts. After an introduction, the second part highlights the importance of Mediterranean forests...

The report is split both geographically and thematically. First it breaks down the different components of the CAP, introducing the history of the policy, it’s two-pillar system and it’s funding system. Then it delves into the nature and implications of the CAP on the ground, for even the same policy...

In the light of the vote on the Multiannual Plan for the fisheries exploiting demersal stocks in the western Mediterranean Sea that will take place on the 10th of January 2019 at 9:00 in the PECH Committee,  LIFE writes to the Members of the European Parliament to outline the amendments that...

LIFE calls on MEPs to reject amendments 10, 19, and 39, which aim to expand the definition of small-scale fisheries and create an uneven playing field across Europe. Imperfect as it is given the great diversity of small-scale fleets, the simple definition – under 12 metres and not using towed fishing...

LIFE members from Snowchange Cooperative raise the alarm: ice melting is leading to the disappearance of the traditional seining fishery season. Back in the 1960s, the harvest could start in November and end in May, but fifty years after the season could be reduced to just a few weeks between February and March. This...

URGENCI, the CSA network and its national members from 12 European countries held an advocacy capacity building session in Brussels (May 14-16). CSA advocates had an unprecedented opportunity to share experience and to refine their key messages  

From the topics: AgriFish Council of 18 June, NRNs'Meeting in Bucharest, Annual fi-compass conference, open calls RDP and many more.

This episode is scheduled for the 8th of May 2019, 17.30 (Central European Summer Time). It will address the issue of the financial sustainability of CSA farms. 

The disruptive potential of upcoming digital technologies and automation is on everybody’s lips. We are being told that 37% of the EU population does not have basic digitization skills and is therefore in need of re-educating itself – not only in IT but also in automation. A 2017 Report by...

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are one of the leading initiatives for addressing the critical, complex and often inter-related issues of our world. SDG 14 — Life below water — focuses on our oceans, estuaries, rivers and watersheds, and the human systems that intersect with them. Unfortunately, it has struggled...