The potential contribution of organic farming to the public goods, ‘Nature and Biodiversity’, ‘Environment’, ‘Energy and Climate’, ‘Human Health and Welfare’ and ‘Animal Health and Welfare’ in Denmark is guided and partly secured by the principles and specific requirements of the EU Organic Regulation. However, other factors, such as the...

Urgenci was present at the “Oxford Real Farming Conference” (ORFC) in Britain, a conference that started as a small alternative conference to the “Oxford Farming Conference” (supported in 2017 by Bayer, BASF and others) but that now has overtaken the conventional farming conference in both the number of delegates and...

The path to a healthy, sustainable and fair food consumption starts already during our early years of childhood and youth. For this reason the EAThink 2015 project has developed two interactive educational games targeting Primary and Secondary school students, in order to help them better understand the different mechanisms of...

Many European rural areas are locked into a “circle of decline” by two mutually reinforcing trends–firstly, a shortage of jobs and sustainable business activity and secondly, inadequate and declining services. Over the last two years the ENRD has carried out work to look at the first of these challenges by...

This seminar is dedicated to exploring and sharing the existing experiences with implementing the EIP-AGRI via Rural Development Programmes support. This event will be held with the support of the Greek RDP Managing Authority – Network Support Unit of the National Rural Network. With over 230 Operational Groups (OGs) already...

Worldwide, the food sovereignty movement is taking root. The multitude of new food sovereignty initiatives speak to its strength as a concept, and as a source of practical responses to today’s problematic food and farming system. The stories in this issue of Farming Matters address interwoven issues of food sovereignty...

This newsletter is the third edition of the Farm-Success Project newsletter. The Farm-Success Project newsletter outlines all of the most recent Farm-Success Project developments, detailing the Project’s road to creating strategies to train farmers for a sustainable succession process in order to enable and to motivate young farmers to continue...

The forest sector has a great potential to generate jobs and income, support livelihoods and contribute to rural development by suppling goods and maintaining forest ecosystem services. The forest sector is expected to play an important role in the emerging green economy in the pan-European region. The transition to a...

Smart Villages is a relatively new concept within the realm of EU policy making. The emerging concept of Smart Villages refers to rural areas and communities which build on their existing strengths and assets as well as on developing new opportunities. In Smart Villages traditional and new networks and services...

The European Network for Rural Development (ENRD) recently published a FAQ on the compensatory allowance for areas facing natural constraints. Compensatory allowance for areas facing natural constraints (ANC) is a payment scheme of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) which aims to prevent land abandonment. The compensatory allowance for permanent natural handicaps...

The general objective of this event is to enable policy makers, research and technology organisations, the agriculture sector, and investors to share knowledge, expertise and needs to develop Digital Innovation Hubs for agriculture.

Faced with a financial hole of €853 million for organic and mountain areas farming, France’s Agriculture Minister Stéphane Travert decided to review the allocation of funds under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the period 2018-2020. According to the EU Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM EU), consumers have more than...

The newsletter of July and August 2017 includes: Portugal at the core of LIFE’s Atlantic strategy LIFE member from Ireland “Heritage Bill” could pass first phase for official approval Other news from around the EU News from our members Press review

This study explains how threats to soils and soil services are linked to agricultural soil management, how threats can be mitigated, and which barriers complicate this. It highlights trade-offs and synergies that exist between different interests affected by soil management, such as climate change mitigation, water and air quality, biodiversity,...

The AIS 2017 is a joint initiative of a Portuguese consortium, the Portuguese Government, the EIP-AGRI network and the European Network for Rural Development. It will gather around 500 farmers, rural businesses, startups, Rural Development Programmes managing authorities, national rural networks, Horizon 2020 multi-actor projects, LEADER Local Action Groups, advisors...

The second multiannual fisheries plan under the new Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) would manage the fisheries of demersal species living near the bottom of the sea and accounting for 70% of catches in the North Sea (zones IIa, IIIa and IV). The management approach covers different species and is tailored...

Check Organic is a cloud-based solution which has been designed to enhance the visibility and traceability of organic products. It brings together certification, information and supply chain data. On an online platform, users can visualise their supply chains, track products and be notified when problems may arise. This solution was...

International Congres on Prospect on prescribed Fires

Biodiversity and the natural environment used to be seen as something to be tamed and controlled with little place in modern farming and production systems. However, there are many entrepreneurs now that are using biodiversity and natural areas to create a connection between consumers and the products they buy.

Farmers in France are seeking growth through direct sales, short supply chains and local agriculture, targeting a burgeoning market in local produce. In 2014, a study on French citizens and local consumption found that 75% of people wanted to buy more products from their local area. Short supply chains are reassuring...