Wild bees and other pollinators play an essential part in agriculture, but as in many places, farming practices have contributed to their declining numbers. Six Welsh dairy farmers have set up an Operational Group aiming to boost pollinator populations. It will look at innovative management options in grass-based livestock farming,...

Fisheries Ministers, the European Commission, GFCM-FAO, and key stakeholders including WWF will meet in Malta for the official adoption of the Regional Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries in the Mediterranean and Black Sea (RPOA-SSF). This will demonstrate the strong political commitment to ensure a sustainable future for the sector. ...

The purpose of the symposium is to share and discuss issues affecting the sustainability of small-scale fisheries (SSF) in Europe and explore linkages to global SSF, especially through markets and stewardship efforts.

Future Farmers in the Spotlight is an initiative that aims to inspire and encourage the next generation of sustainable farmers. It shares inspiring stories about young farmers who have – despite the many difficulties – managed to set up farming initiatives which are innovative, viable and sustainable!

A recent publication by the European Parliament’s Think Tank examines structural change in EU farming, seeking to answer the question “How can the CAP support a 21st century European model of agriculture?”. The study explores farm structural change separately in Western and in Central and Eastern Europe, and goes on to...

Members of an Irish discussion group recently travelled to France to study the way farmers co-operate and pool resources there.

This edition of the EAFRD Projects Brochure is on the theme of ‘Supporting Rural Business’. The title reflects an interpretation that focuses not only on supporting individual rural businesses, but on helping to create the kind of enabling environment that can allow businesses to be set up, to develop and...

Environmental protection and human food security co-exist in a critical balance, one that is often difficult to get right. The pressures of population rise, farming intensification, and loss of habitats and species mean that protections afforded under the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy are pivotal to the conservation of agri-ecology. In...

Community supported agriculture (CSA) is a partnership between farmers and the local community, where the responsibilities, risks and rewards of farming are shared. Benefits are enjoyed by all sides: farmers for instance can receive a more stable and secure income and closer connection with their community, and consumer members can...

Forum Synergies’ rural sustainability gatherings are a lively exchange of practical knowledge and experiences between local actors, social organizations and policy makers from across Europe. During this three-day meetings we bring together people from all walks of life to learn on the spot from each other about sustainable practices in...

Agri-environment measures provide payments to farmers who subscribe, on a voluntary basis, to environmental commitments related to the preservation of the environment and maintaining the countryside. Agri-environment measures are a key element for the integration of environmental concerns into the Common Agricultural Policy. They are designed to encourage farmers to protect...

The European Rural Youth Forum (ERYF) is a non-profit international NGO designed to provide a platform for young people from rural areas to discuss issues that are crucial to their countries and region. These topics are addressed during an annual summer university (7-10 days), which is held in a different...

Agriculture is one of the most widespread activities in the world and has a crucial role in food production, environmental protection, landscape preservation, rural employment and food security. Agriculture is not uniform throughout, there are different elements. From a gender point of view, there are significant gaps between women and men....

The RASFF was put in place to provide food and feed control authorities with an effective tool to exchange information about measures taken responding to serious risks detected in relation to food or feed. This exchange of information helps Member States to act more rapidly and in a coordinated manner...

Comment court-circuiter le modèle classique de distribution alimentaire ? En implantant des circuits courts, répondent les citoyens et les paysans convaincus de la portée politique que représente l’acte de manger. Échange entre Aimée Serve-Gorce, arboricultrice bio, Marion Tournand-Ponson, d’AlterConso, Thibaut Duez, de l’épicerie lyonnaise De l’autre côté de la rue, Geneviève...

The demand, consumption patterns, consumers’ engagement and perceptions of food are changing and diversifying. A growing part of consumers become more interested in how their food is grown, processed and brought to market. The consumption of meat and dairy products per capita is decreasing in most European countries, with differences according to...

Introductory Speech at 3rd EU Fi-compass Conference on Financial Instruments for Agriculture and Rural Development

Darragh Flynn (27) started the Happy Pear Living Foods Farm 4 years ago in 2009. He now grows wheatgrass and many different types of sprouts, like beans, sunflower, chickpeas, alfafa, leaks, etc. Darragh delivers all over Ireland and shows us that even without land, it is possible to set up...

CEJA has officially launched the online survey “European Young Farmers: Building a sustainable sector” to hear young farmers’ opinions on farm sustainability to create a better future for young farmers across Europe.  The survey is open to all young farmers across Europe and aims to understand the needs of young farmers...

More flexibility to European Union (EU) countries to support young farmers, more ecological focus areas, more support for farmers facing income losses – these were just some of the proposed improvements to EU agri-food policy agreed by EU member states on 16 October 2017. The changes to the four main regulations governing...