Biohuhn is an Operational Group (OG) looking into innovative uses for laying hens at the end of their productive life. They are developing new, local food products from this organic meat to provide extra income for farmers, reduce environmental impact and improve animal welfare. This OG brings together six organic hen farms,...

The EIP-AGRI Focus Group on High Nature Value (HNV) – Farming Profitability brought together 20 experts from 15 EU Member States and a diverse range of backgrounds. They explored the potential for making effective use of the EIP-AGRI to improve the long-term viability of High Nature Value (HNV) farming systems...

The Conference aims to bring together 250 or so stakeholders in order to discuss current and future challenges of farming and rural areas, as well as potential policy responses. The Commission will start inviting policy makers, NGOs, members of academia and other interested parties in the coming weeks.  

This video includes two projects (in Ireland and the Netherlands) using result-based systems for agriculture.

Lack of cooperative spirit is a common challenge in rural areas. The same applies to Lower Silesia, Poland, where different cultures and identities co-exist like the German, the Czech, etc. However, the distinct culture and traditions of the area and the range of local niche products, provide significant opportunities for...

In the period to 2020, the CAP is going to invest more than EUR 8 billion1 in Portugal's farming sector and rural areas. Key political priorities have been fined at European level such as: jobs and growth, sustainability, modernisation, innovation and quality. At the same time, Portugal has flexibility to...

This report presents the results of the EIP-AGRI Focus Group (FG) on “Water & Agriculture: adaptive strategies at farm level”. Water is an essential resource for crop and livestock production. Climate change is generating variations in temperature and rainfall, forcing farmers to rethink how to produce their crops, breed their...

Since the 1970s and 1980s, community-based forestry has grown in popularity, based on the concept that local communities, when granted sufficient property rights over local forest commons, can organize autonomously and develop local institutions to regulate the use of natural resources and manage them sustainably. Over time, various forms of...

FAO, CIHEAM and the EBRD are convening high-level policymakers, key players from private sector companies, co-operatives and producer organizations, governments, banks, academics and journalists to raise awareness and increase agricultural investment in the Mediterranean. Co-chaired by high-level representatives of the three Organizations, the Forum’s objective is to share good practices and elaborate policy messages in...

Between September 16 and 18, 2016 the North Moravian City of Ostrava will play host to a meeting of the European organizations and communities involved in the project of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). The purpose of this gathering that will be attended by over a hundred people from all over...

In the period to 2020, the new CAP is going to invest EUR 4.6 million1 from the EU budget in Slovakia’s farming sector and rural areas. Key political priorities have been defined at European level such as: jobs and growth, sustainability, modernisation, innovation and quality. In parallel, flexibility is given...

The FLW Platform is an informal Commission expert group, which will be composed of a maximum of 70 members representing the public and private sectors. It will include competent authorities from member states, EU umbrella organisations and federations involved in food waste prevention, NGOs, and EU bodies (e.g. Committee of Regions)....

Uncertainties and low non-agricultural commodity prices resulted in a stronger global economic slowdown in 2016 than expected; the situation is expected to improve in 2017. Cereals and oilseeds are characterised by a combination of a global record production with weak EU production, particularly for wheat and maize. Ample global supply...

The purpose of this paper is examine the notion of tenure in connection with water resources and to explore whether the concept of water tenure has the potential to make a useful contribution towards resolving the world’s water resources challenges. It seeks to provide answers to the following questions: (a)...

Nuno Marques, a Portuguese farmer (beef, cereal and forestry), has developed a new land and soil management strategy for Mediterranean soil and climatic conditions. His project achieved a sustainable intensification of the production system by improving soil fertility, water and land productivity and the efficiency of external inputs. These findings...

For tomorrow’s farmers, the choice is to get connected or face the consequences. And the transition is already under way. In 2015, almost all French farmers (98%) used the internet at least once a week for professional reasons, according to the 2015 Agrinautes-Agrisurfeurs study.

A young entrepreneur, Ms Zsóka Fekete, after her studies on animal production decided to set up her own farm. There she would breed the native Hungarian swine breed called Mangalica. RDP support from different measures was received at the different stages of the farm’s development.

Currently, the development of any sector involves respecting the principles of sustainability, which means economic, social and environmental development. Moreover, organic farming is a very important field for ensuring sustainable development. Romania has great potential for the development of organic agriculture, especially due to the large number of available farmland...

Dynamic cooperatives leaders introduce their agri-cooperatives in different EU Member States and explain how EU agri-cooperatives increase the value output of their farm in the market, while active member participation in the governance of their cooperative, ensures that all actions of the cooperative are in the best interest of members...

At a rural development conference in Cork at the beginning of the month, 330 stakeholders were brought together to consider the challenges facing the agricultural sector. One can only speculate what was meant by the following sentence, found in the preamble to the declaration that was signed at its conclusion:...